FROM  THE  DEEP  WOODS 
TO  CIVILIZATION 


From  the  JDeep   Woods 
to    Civilization 


CHAPTERS  IN  THE  AUTOBIOGRAPHY 
OF  AN  INDIAN 


BY 


CHARLES  A.  EASTMAN 

(OHIYESA) 


ILLUSTRATED 


BOSTON 

LITTLE,  BROWN,  AND  COMPANY 
1916 


Copyright,  1916, 
BY  CHARLES  A.  EASTMAN. 


All  rights  reserved 
Published,  September,  1916 


NotinootJ 

Set  up  and  electrotyped  by  J.  S.  Gushing  Co.,  Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 
Presswork  by  S.  J.  Parkhill  &  Co.,  Boston,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


FOREWORD 

"INDIAN  BOYHOOD,"  published  first  in 
1902  and  in  many  subsequent  editions,  pic 
tures  the  first  of  three  distinct  periods  in  the 
life  of  the  writer  of  this  book.  His  child 
hood  and  youth  were  a  part  of  the  free  wilder 
ness  life  of  the  first  American  —  a  life  that  is 
gone  forever !  By  dint  of  much  persuasion, 
the  story  has  now  been  carried  on  from  the 
point  of  that  plunge  into  the  unknown  with 
which  the  first  book  ends,  a  change  so  abrupt 
and  so  overwhelming  that  the  boy  of  fifteen 
"felt  as  if  he  were  dead  and  travelling  to 
the  spirit  land."  We  are  now  to  hear  of  a 
single-hearted  quest  throughout  eighteen 
years  of  adolescence  and  early  maturity, 
for  the  attainment  of  the  modern  ideal  of 
Christian  culture :  and  again  of  a  quarter 
of  a  century  devoted  to  testing  that  hard- 
won  standard  in  various  fields  of  endeavor, 


Foreword 

partly  by  holding  it  up  before  his  own  race, 
and  partly  by  interpreting  their  racial  ideals 
to  the  white  man,  leading  in  the  end  to  a 
partial  reaction  in  favor  of  the  earlier,  the 
simpler,  perhaps  the  more  spiritual  philos 
ophy.  It  is  clearly  impossible  to  tell  the 
whole  story,  but  much  that  cannot  be  told 
may  be  read  "between  the  lines."  The 
broad  outlines,  the  salient  features  of  an 
uncommon  experience  are  here  set  forth  in 
the  hope  that  they  may  strengthen  for  some 
readers  the  conception  of  our  common 

humanity. 

E.  G.  E. 


vi 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I  THE  WAY  OPENS      .....        1 

II  MY  FIRST  SCHOOL  DAYS  ....      14 

HI  ON  THE  WHITE  MAN'S  TRAIL.        .        .      31 

IV  COLLEGE  LIFE  IN  THE  WEST   .        .        .51 

V  COLLEGE  LIFE  IN  THE  EAST     ...      61 

VI  A  DOCTOR  AMONG  THE  INDIANS       .        .      76 

VII  THE  GHOST  DANCE  WAR         ...      92 

VIII  WAR  WITH  THE  POLITICIANS    .                 .116 

IX  CIVILIZATION  AS  PREACHED   AND    PRAC 

TISED  .......     136 

X  AT  THE  NATION'S  CAPITAL      .        .        .    151 

XI  BACK  TO  THE  WOODS       .        .        .        .166 

XII  THE  SOUL  OF  THE  WHITE  MAN      .        .    182 


Vll 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Charles  A.  Eastman  (Ohiyesa).     Frontispiece  in 
Photogravure. 

FACING   PAGE 

Many  Lightnings.  English  name,  Jacob 
Eastman.  From  an  old  daguerreotype 
of  Dr.  Eastman's  father  ...  6 

Typical  Indian  log  cabin,  such  as  Dr.  East 
man's  father  lived  in  at  Flandreau, 
Dakota  Territory  .  .  .  .16 

At  home   in  the   wilderness.     A   group   of 

Indian  teepees 16 

Santee    Normal    Training    School,    Santee, 

Nebraska,  as  it  looks  to-day       .         .       32 

Rev.  Alfred  L.  Riggs,  Superintendent  Santee 

Training  School 40 

Part  of  Class  of  '87,  Dartmouth  College, 
after  a  "Rush."  Eastman  in  centre, 

front 66 

ix 


List  of  Illustrations 

FACING   PAGE 

Mrs.  Frank  Wood,  of  Boston;    Eastman's 

"White  Mother"  ....       72 

Eastman  at  Knox  College,  1880  .         .       76 

Eastman  in  1890,  when  he  took  his  medical 

degree  at  Boston  University  .         .       76 

Chapel  of  the  Holy  Cross,  Pine  Ridge 
Agency,  used  as  hospital  for  wounded 
Indians  during  the  "Ghost  Dance 
War" 80 

Pine  Ridge  Agency,  1890     ....       80 

Mato-wa-nahtaka  (Kicking  Bear),  High 
Priest  of  the  "Messiah  Craze,"  1890- 
91 100 

Elaine  Goodale  Eastman      .         .         .         .126 
Ohiyesa  the  Second,  at  five  years  of  age,  1903     152 

With  guide  and  bark  canoe,  on  Rainy  Lake, 

Ontario  176 


UNIV.  or 

CALIFORNIA 


FROM  THE  DEEP  WOODS 
TO   CIVILIZATION 


THE   WAY   OPENS 

ONE  can  never  be  sure  of  what  a  day  may 
bring  to  pass.  At  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,  the  deepening  current  of  my  life 
swung  upon  such  a  pivotal  day,  and  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye  its  whole  course  was 
utterly  changed;  as  if  a  little  mountain 
brook  should  pause  and  turn  upon  itself  to 
gather  strength  for  the  long  journey  toward 
an  unknown  ocean. 

From  childhood  I  was  consciously  trained 
to  be  a  man ;  that  was,  after  all,  the  basic 
thing;  but  after  this  I  was^jtrained_to  be  a 
warrior  and  a  hunter,  and  not  to  care  for 
money  or  possessions,  but  to  be  in  the  broad 
est  sense  a  public  servant.  After  arriving 

*""-•>  -..««.«— -*-**"  i 

1 


'Frdnt '  ifie*  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

at  a  reverent  sense  of  the  pervading  presence 
of  the  Spirit  and  Giver  of  Life,  and  a  deep 
consciousness  of  the  brotherhood  of  man,  the 
first  thing  for  me  to  accomplish  was  to  adapt 
myself  perfectly  to  natural  things  —  in  other 
words,  to  harmonize  myself  with  nature. 
To  this  end  I  was  made  to  build  a  body  both 
symmetrical  and  enduring  —  a  house  for 
the  soul  to  live  in  —  a  sturdy  house,  defying 
the  elements.  I  must  have  faith  and  pa 
tience  ;  I  must  learn  self-control  and  be  able 
to  maintain  silence.  I  must  do  with  as 
little  as  possible  and  start  with  nothing  most 
,  of  the  time,  because  a  true  Indian  always 
shares  whatever  he  may  possess. 

I  felt  no  hatred  for  our  tribal  foes.  I 
looked  upon  them  more  as  the  college  athlete 
regards  his  rivals  from  another  college. 
There  was  no  thought  of  destroying  a  nation, 
taking  away  their  country  or  reducing  the 
people  to  servitude,  for  my  race  rather 
honored  and  bestowed  gifts  upon  their 
enemies  at  the  next  peaceful  meeting,  until 
they  had  adopted  the  usages  of  the  white 
man's  warfare  for  spoliation  and  conquest. 
There  was  one  unfortunate  thing  about 


The  Way  Opens 

my  early  training,  however;  that  is,  I  wasv* 
taught  never  to  spare  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States,  although  we  were  on  friendly  terms 
with  the  Canadian  white  men.  The  explana 
tion  is  simple.  My  people  had  been  turned 
out  of  some  of  the  finest  country  in  the  world, 
now  forming  the  great  states  of  Minnesota 
and  Iowa.  The  Americans  pretended  to 
buy  the  land  at  ten  cents  an  acre,  but  never 
paid  the  price;  the  debt  stands  unpaid  to 
this  day.  Because  they  did  not  pay,  the 
Sioux  protested;  finally  came  the  outbreak 
of  1862  in  Minnesota,  when  many  settlers 
were  killed,  and  forthwith  our  people,  such 
as  were  left  alive,  were  driven  by  the  troops 
into  exile. 

My  father,  who  was  among  the  fugitives 
in  Canada,  had  been  betrayed  by  a  half- 
breed  across  the  United  States  line,  near 
what  is  now  the  city  of  Winnipeg.  Some  of 
the  party  were  hanged  at  Fort  Snelling,  near 
St.  Paul.  We  supposed,  and,  in  fact,  we  were 
informed  that  all  were  hanged.  This  was 
why  my  uncle,  in  whose  family  I  lived,  had 
taught  me  never  to  spare  a  white  man  from 
the  United  States. 

3 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

During  the  summer  and  winter  of  1871, 
the  band  of  Sioux  to  which  I  belonged  —  a 
clan  of  the  Wah'petons,  or  "Dwellers  among 
the  Leaves"  -  roamed  in  the  upper  Missouri 
region  and  along  the  Yellowstone  River. 
In  that  year  I  tasted  to  the  full  the  joy  and 
plenty  of  wild  existence.  I  saw  buffalo, 
elk,  and  antelope  in  herds  numbering  thou 
sands.  The  forests  teemed  with  deer,  and 
in  the  "Bad  Lands"  dwelt  the  Big  Horns 
or  Rocky  Mountain  sheep.  At  this  period, 
grizzly  bears  were  numerous  and  were 
brought  into  camp  quite  commonly,  like 
any  other  game. 

We  frequently  met  and  camped  with  the 
Hudson  Bay  half-breeds  in  their  summer 
hunt  of  the  buffalo,  and  we  were  on  terms  of 
friendship  with  the  Assiniboines  and  the 
Crees,  but  in  frequent  collision  with  the 
Blackfeet,  the  Gros  Ventres,  and  the  Crows. 
However,  there  were  times  of  truce  when 
all  met  in  peace  for  a  great  midsummer 
festival  and  exchange  of  gifts.  The  Sioux 
roamed  over  an  area  nearly  a  thousand 
miles  in  extent.  In  the  summer  we  gathered 
together  in  large  numbers,  but  towards  fall 
4 


The  Way  Opens 

we  would  divide  into  small  groups  or  bands 
and  scatter  for  the  trapping  and  the  winter 
hunt.  Most  of  us  hugged  the  wooded  river 
bottoms;  some  depended  entirely  upon 
the  buffalo  for  food,  while  others,  and  among 
these  my  immediate  kindred,  hunted  all 
kinds  of  game,  and  trapped  and  fished  as 
well. 

Thus  I  was  trained  thoroughly  for  an  all- 
round  out-door  life  and  for  all  natural 
emergencies.  I  was  a  good  rider  and  a  good 
shot  with  the  bow  and  arrow,  alert  and  alive 
to  everything  that  came  within  my  ken. 
I  had  never  known  nor  ever  expected  to 
know  any  life  but  this. 

In  the  winter  and  summer  of  1872,  we 
drifted  toward  the  southern  part  of  what  is 
now  Manitoba.  In  this  wild,  rolling  country 
I  rapidly  matured,  and  laid,  as  I  supposed, 
the  foundations  of  my  life  career,  never 
dreaming  of  anything  beyond  this  manful 
and  honest,  unhampered  existence.  My 
horse  and  my  dog  were  my  closest  compan 
ions.  I  regarded  them  as  brothers,  and  if 
there  was  a  hereafter,  I  expected  to  meet 
them  there.  With  them  I  went  out  daily 
5 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

into  the  wilderness  to  seek  inspiration  and 
store  up  strength  for  coming  manhood. 
My  teachers  dreamed  no  more  than  I  of  any 
change  in  my  prospects.  I  had  now  taken 
part  in  all  our  tribal  activities  except  that 
of  war,  and  was  nearly  old  enough  to  be 
initiated  into  the  ritual  of  the  war-path. 
The  world  was  full  of  natural  rivalry;  I 
was  eager  for  the  day. 

I  had  attained  the  age  of  fifteen  years  and 
was  about  to  enter  into  and  realize  a  man's 
life,  as  we  Indians  understood  it,  when  the 
change  came.  One  fine  September  morning 
as  I  returned  from  the  daily  hunt,  there 
seemed  to  be  an  unusual  stir  and  excitement 
as  I  approached  our  camp.  My  faithful 
grandmother  was  on  the  watch  and  met  me 
to  break  the  news.  "Your  father  has  come 
-  he  whom  we  thought  dead  at  the  hands 
of  the  white  men,"  she  said. 

It  was  a  day  of  miracle  in  the  deep  Cana 
dian  wilderness,  before  the  Canadian  Pacific 
had  been  even  dreamed  of,  while  the  Indian 
and  the  buffalo  still  held  sway  over  the  vast 
plains  of  Manitoba  east  of  the  Rocky  Moun 
tains.  It  was,  perhaps,  because  he  was  my 
6 


MANY  LIGHTNINGS.     ENGLISH  NAME,  JACOB  EASTMAN. 

FROM  AN  OLD  DAGUERREOTYPE  OF 

DR.  EASTMAN'S  FATHER. 


The  Way  Opens 

honored  father  that  I  lent  my  bewildered  ear 
to  his  eloquent  exposition  of  the  so^callg^L  r 
civilized  life,  or  the  way  of  the  white  man. 
I  could  not  doubt  my  own  father,  so  myste 
riously  come  back  to  us,  as  it  were,  from  the 
spirit  land ;  yet  there  was  a  voice  within 
saying  to  me,  "A  false  life!  a  treacherous 
life!" 

In  accordance  with  my  training,  I  asked 
few  questions,  although  many  arose  in  my 
mind.  I  simply  tried  silently  to  fit  the  new 
ideas  like  so  many  blocks  into  the  pattern  of 
my  philosophy,  while  according  to  my  un 
tutored  logic  some  did  not  seem  to  have 
straight  sides  or  square  corners  to  fit  in  with 
the  cardinal  principles  of  eternal  justice. 
My  father  had  been  converted  by  Protestant 
missionaries,  and  he  gave  me  a  totally  new 
vision  of  the  white  man,  as  a  religious  man 
and  a  kindly.  But  when  he  Tetated  how 
he  had  set  apart  every  seventh  day  for  reli 
gious  duties  and  the  worship  of  God,  laying 
aside  every  other  occupation  on  that  day,  I 
could  not  forbear  exclaiming,  "Father!  and 
does  he  then  forget  God  during  the  six  days 
and  do  as  he  pleases?"  >^ 
7 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 


"Our  own  life,  I  will  admit,  is  the  best  in 
a  world  of  our  own,  such  as  we  have  enjoyed 
for  ages,"  said  my  father.  "But  here  is  a 
race  which  has  learned  to  weigh  and  measure 
everything,  time  and  labor  and  the  results 
of  labor,  and  has  learned  to  accumulate  and 
preserve  both  wealth  and  the  records  of 
experience  for  future  generations.  You  your 
selves  know  and  use  some  of  the  wonderful 
inventions  of  the  white  man,  such  as  guns  and 
gunpowder,  knives  and  hatchets,  garments 
of  every  description,  and  there  are  thousands 
of  other  things  both  beautiful  and  useful. 

"Above  all,  they  have  their  Great  Teacher, 
whom  they  call  Jesus,  and  he  taught  them 
to  pas^  on  their  wisdom  and  knowledge  to 
all  other  races.  It  is  true  that  they  have 
subdued  and  taught  many  peoples,  and  our 
own  must  eventually  bow  to  this  law;  the 
^sooner  we  accept  their  mode  of  life  and  follow 
their  teaching,  the  better  it  will  be  for  us  all. 
I  have  thought  much  on  this  matter  and  such 
is  my  conclusion." 

There  was  a  mingling  of  admiration  and 
indignation  in  my  mind  as  I  listened.  My 
father's  two  brothers  were  still  far  from  being 
8 


The  Way  Opens 

convinced ;  but  filial  duty  and  affection  over- 
weighed  all  my  prejudices.  I  was  bound 
to  go  back  with  him  as  he  desired  me  to  do, 
and  my  grandmother  and  her  only  daughter 
accompanied  us  on  the  perilous  journey. 

The  line  between  Canada  and  the  United 
States  was  closely  watched  at  this  time  by 
hostile  Indians,  therefore  my  father  thought 
it  best  to  make  a  dash  for  Devil's  Lake,  in 
North  Dakota,  where  he  could  get  assistance 
if  necessary.  He  knew  Major  Forbes,  who 
was  in  command  of  the  military  post  and  the 
agency.  Our  guide  we  knew  to  be  an  un 
scrupulous  man,  who  could  easily  betray  us 
for  a  kettle  of  whisky  or  a  pony.  One  of  the 
first  things  I  observed  was  my  father's 
reading  aloud  from  a  book  every  morning 
and  evening,  followed  by  a  very  strange  song 
and  a  prayer.  Although  all  he  said  was  in 
Indian,  I  did  not  understand  it  fully.  He 
apparently  talked  aloud  to  the  "Great 
Mystery",  asking  for  our  safe  guidance  back 
to  his  home  in  the  States.  The  first  reading 
of  this  book  of  which  I  have  any  recollection 
was  the  twenty-third  Psalm,  and  the  first 
hymn  he  sang  in  my  presence  was  to  the  old 
9 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

tune  of  Ortonville.  It  was  his  Christian 
faith  and  devotion  which  was  perhaps  the 
strongest  influence  toward  my  change  of 
heart  and  complete  change  of  my  purpose 
in  life. 

I  think  it  was  at  our  second  encampment 
that  we  met  a  large  caravan  of  Canadian 
half-breeds  accompanied  by  a  band  of  North 
ern  Ojibways.  As  was  usual  with  the  former, 
they  had  plenty  of  whisky.  They  were 
friendly  enough  'with  us,  at  least  while  sober, 
but  the  Indians  were  not.  Father  showed 
them  his  papers  as  a  United  States  citizen 
and  a  letter  from  Major  Forbes,  telling  of  his 
peaceful  mission,  but  we  could  not  trust 
our  ancestral  enemies,  the  Ojibways,  espe 
cially  when  excited  with  strong  drink.  My 
father  was  calm  and  diplomatic  throughout, 
but  thus  privately  instructed  me : 

"My  son,  conceal  yourself  in  the  woods; 
and  if  the  worst  comes  you  must  flee  on  your 
swift  pony.  Before  daylight  you  can  pass 
the  deep  woods  and  cross  the  Assiniboine 
River."  He  handed  me  a  letter  to  Major 
Forbes.  I  said,  "I  will  try,"  and  as  soon  as 
it  was  dark,  I  hid  myself,  to  be  in  readiness. 
10 


The  Way  Opens 

Meanwhile,  my  father  called  the  leading 
half-breeds  together  and  told  them  again  that 
he  was  under  the  protection  of  his  govern 
ment,  also  that  the  Sioux  would  hold  them 
responsible  if  anything  happened  to  us.  Just 
then  they  discovered  that  another  young 
brave  and  I  were  not  to  be  found,  which 
made  them  think  that  father  had  dispatched 
us  to  the  nearest  military  post  for  help. 
They  immediately  led  away  their  drunken 
comrades  and  made  a  big  talk  to  their  O jib- 
way  friends,  so  that  we  remained  undisturbed 
until  morning. 

Some  days  later,  at  the  south  end  of  Devil's 
Lake,  I  left  our  camp  early  to  shoot  some 
ducks  when  the  morning  flight  should  begin. 
Suddenly,  when  out  of  sight  of  the  others, 
my  eye  caught  a  slight  movement  in  the  rank 
grass.  Instinctively  I  dropped  and  flattened 
myself  upon  the  ground,  but  soon  a  quick 
glance  behind  me  showed  plainly  the  head 
of  a  brave  hidden  behind  a  bush.  I  waited, 
trying  to  figure  out  some  plan  of  escape,  yet 
facing  the  probability  that  I  was  already  sur 
rounded,  until  I  caught  sight  of  another  head 
almost  in  front  and  still  another  to  my  left. 
11 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

In  the  moments  that  elapsed  after  I  fully 
realized  my  situation,  I  thought  of  almost 
everything  that  had  happened  to  me  up  to 
that  day;  of  a  remarkable  escape  from  the 
Ojibways,  of  the  wild  pets  I  had  had,  and 
of  my  playmates  in  the  Canadian  camps 
whom  I  should  never  see  again.  I  also 
thought  with  more  curiosity  than  fear  of  the 
" Great  Mystery"  that  I  was  so  soon  to  enter. 
As  these  thoughts  were  passing  through  my 
mind,  I  carelessly  moved  and  showed  myself 
plainly  to  the  enemy. 

Suddenly,  from  behind  the  nearest  bush, 
came  the  sound  of  my  own  Sioux  tongue  and 
the  words,  "Are  you  a  Sioux  ? "  Possibly  my 
countenance  may  not  have  changed  much, 
but  certainly  I  grew  weak  with  surprise  and 
relief.  As  soon  as  I  answered  "Yes!"  I 
was  surrounded  by  a  group  of  warriors  of  my 
tribe,  who  chuckled  at  the  joke  that  had  come 
so  near  to  costing  me  my  life,  for  one  of  them 
explained  that  he  had  been  on  the  point  of 
firing  when  I  exposed  myself  so  plainly  that 
he  saw  I  was  not  an  O  jib  way  in  war  paint 
but  probably  a  Sioux  like  himself. 

After  a  variety  of  adventures,  we  arrived 
12 


The  Way  Opens 

at  the  canvas  city  of  Jamestown,  then  the 
terminal  point  of  the  Northern  Pacific  rail 
road.  I  was  out  watering  the  ponies  when  a 
terrific  peal  of  thunder  burst  from  a  spotless 
blue  sky,  and  indeed  seemed  to  me  to  be 
running  along  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
The  terrified  ponies  instantly  stampeded, 
and  I  confess  I  was  not  far  behind  them,  when 
a  monster  with  one  fiery  eye  poked  his  head 
around  a  corner  of  the  hill.  When  we  reached 
camp,  my  father  kindly  explained,  and  I  was 
greatly  relieved. 

It  was  a  peaceful  Indian  summer  day  when 
we  reached  Flandreau,  in  Dakota  Territory, 
the  citizen  Indian  settlement,  and  found  the 
whole  community  gathered  together  to  con 
gratulate  and  welcome  us  home. 


13 


II 

MY  FIEST  SCHOOL  DAYS 

T  T  was  less  than  a  month  since  I  had  been  a 
rover  and  a  hunter  in  the  Manitoba  wil 
derness,  with  no  thoughts  save  those  which 
concern  the  most  free  and  natural  life  of  an 
Indian.  Now,  I  found  myself  standing  near 
a  rude  log  cabin  on  the  edge  of  a  narrow 
strip  of  timber,  overlooking  the  fertile  basin 
of  the  Big  Sioux  River.  As  I  gazed  over  the 
rolling  prairie  land,  all  I  could  see  was  that 
it  met  the  sky  at  the  horizon  line.  It  seemed 
to  me  vast  and  vague  and  endless,  as  was  my 
conception  of  the  new  trail  which  I  had  taken 
and  my  dream  of  the  far-off  goal. 

My  father's  farm  of  160  acres,  which  he  had 
taken  up  and  improved  under  the  United 
States  homestead  laws,  lay  along  the  north 
bank  of  the  river.  The  nearest  neighbor 
lived  a  mile  away,  and  all  had  flourishing 
fields  of  wheat,  Indian  corn  and  potatoes. 
14 


My  First  School  Days 

Some  two  miles  distant,  where  the  Big  Sioux 
doubled  upon  itself  in  a  swinging  loop,  rose 
the  mission  church  and  schoolhouse,  the  only 
frame  building  within  forty  miles. 

Our  herd  of  ponies  was  loose  upon  the 
prairie,  and  it  was  my  first  task  each  morning 
to  bring  them  into  the  log  corral.  On  this 
particular  morning  I  lingered,  finding  some 
of  them,  like  myself,  who  loved  their  freedom 
too  well  and  would  not  come  in. 

The  man  who  had  built  the  cabin  —  it  was 
his  first  house,  and  therefore  he  was  proud  of  it 
—  was  tall  and  manly  looking.  He  stood  in 
front  of  his  pioneer  home  with  a  resolute  face. 

He  had  been  accustomed  to  the  buffalo- 
skin  teepee  all  his  life,  until  he  opposed  the 
white  man  and  was  defeated  and  made  a 
prisoner  of  war  at  Davenport,  Iowa.  It  was 
because  of  his  meditations  during  those  four 
years  in  a  military  prison  that  he  had  severed 
himself  from  his  tribe  and  taken  up  a  home 
stead.  He  declared  that  he  would  never  join 
in  another  Indian  outbreak,  but  would  work 
with  his  hands  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 

"I  have  hunted  every  day,"  he  said,  "for 
the  support  of  my  family.  I  sometimes  chase 
15 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

the  deer  all  day.  One  must  work,  and  work 
hard,  whether  chasing  the  deer  or  planting 
corn.  After  all,  the  corn-planting  is  the 
surer  provision." 

These  were  my  father's  new  views,  and  in 
this  radical  change  of  life  he  had  persuaded 
a  few  other  families  to  join  him.  They 
formed  a  little  colony  at  Flandreau,  on  the 
Big  Sioux  River. 

To  be  sure,  his  beginnings  in  civilization 
had  not  been  attended  with  all  the  success 
that  he  had  hoped  for.  One  year  the  crops 
had  been  devoured  by  grasshoppers,  and 
another  year  ruined  by  drought.  But  he  was 
still  satisfied  that  there  was  no  alternative 
for  the  Indian.  He  was  now  anxious  to  have 
his  boys  learn  the  English  language  and  some 
thing  about  books,  for  he  could  see  that 
these  were  the  "bow  and  arrows"  of  the 
white  man. 

"O-hee-ye-sa!"  called  my  father,  and  I 
obeyed  the  call.  "It  is  time  for  you  to  go  to 
school,  my  son,"  he  said,  with  his  usual  air  of 
decision.  We  had  spoken  of  the  matter 
more  than  once,  yet  it  seemed  hard  when  it 
came  to  the  actual  undertaking. 
16 


TYPICAL   INDIAN  LOG  CABIN,  SUCH  AS  DR.  EASTMAN'S  FATHER 
LIVED  IN  AT  FLANDREA.U,  DAKOTA  TERRITORY. 


AT  HOME  IN  THE  WILDERNESS.     A  GROUP  OF  INDIAN  TEEPEES. 


My  First  School  Days 

I  remember  quite  well  how  I  felt  as  I 
stood  there  with  eyes  fixed  upon  the 
ground. 

"And  what  am  I  to  do  at  the  school?" 
I  asked  finally,  with  much  embarrassment. 

"You  will  be  taught  the  language  of  the 
white  man,  and  also  how  to  count  your  money 
and  tell  the  prices  of  your  horses  and  of  your 
furs.  The  white  teacher  will  first  teach 
you  the  signs  by  which  you  can  make  out  the 
words  on  their  books.  They  call  them  A, 
B,  C,  and  so  forth.  Old  as  I  am,  I  have 
learned  some  of  them." 

The  matter  having  been  thus  far  explained, 
I  was  soon  on  my  way  to  the  little  mission 
school,  two  miles  distant  over  the  prairie. 
There  was  no  clear  idea  in  my  mind  as  to 
what  I  had  to  do,  but  as  I  galloped  along 
the  road  I  turned  over  and  over  what 
my  father  had  said,  and  the  more  I  thought 
of  it  the  less  I  was  satisfied.  Finally  I  said 
aloud : 

"Why  do  we  need  a  sign  language,  when 
we  can  both  hear  and  talk?"  And  uncon 
sciously  I  pulled  on  the  lariat  and  the  pony 
came  to  a  stop.  I  suppose  I  was  half  curious 
17 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

and  half  in  dread  about  this  "learning  white 
men's  ways."  Meanwhile  the  pony  had 
begun  to  graze. 

While  thus  absorbed  in  thought,  I  was 
suddenly  startled  by  the  yells  of  two  other 
Indian  boys  and  the  noise  of  their  ponies' 
hoofs.  I  pulled  the  pony's  head  up  just  as 
the  two  strangers  also  pulled  up  and  stopped 
their  panting  ponies  at  my  side.  They 
stared  at  me  for  a  minute,  while  I  looked  at 
them  out  of  the  corners  of  my  eyes. 

"Where  are  you  going?  Are  you  going 
to  our  school?"  volunteered  one  of  the  boys 
at  last. 

To  this  I  replied  timidly:  "My  father 
told  me  to  go  to  a  place  where  the  white 
men's  ways  are  taught,  and  to  learn  the 
sign  language." 

"That's  good  —  we  are  going  there  too! 
Come  on,  Red  Feather,  let's  try  another  race ! 
I  think,  if  we  had  not  stopped,  my  pony 
would  have  outrun  yours.  Will  you  race 
with  us?"  he  continued,  addressing  me;  and 
we  all  started  our  ponies  at  full  speed. 

I  soon  saw  that  the  two  strange  boys  were 
riding  erect  and  soldier-like.  "That  must 
18 


My  First  School  Days 

be  because  they  have  been  taught  to  be  like 
the  white  man,"  I  thought.  I  allowed  my 
pony  a  free  start  and  leaned  forward  until 
the  animal  drew  deep  breaths,  then  I  slid 
back  and  laid  my  head  against  the  pony's 
shoulder,  at  the  same  time  raising  my  quirt, 
and  he  leaped  forward  with  a  will !  I  yelled 
as  I  passed  the  other  boys,  and  pulled  up 
when  I  reached  the  crossing.  The  others 
stopped,  too,  and  surveyed  pony  and  rider 
from  head  to  foot,  as  if  they  had  never  seen  us 
before. 

"You  have  a  fast  pony.  Did  you  bring 
him  back  with  you  from  Canada?"  Red 
Feather  asked.  "I  think  you  are  the  son  of 
Many  Lightnings,  whom  he  brought  home 
the  other  day,"  the  boy  added. 

"Yes,  this  is  my  own  pony.  My  uncle 
in  Canada  always  used  him  to  chase  the 
buffalo,  and  he  has  ridden  him  in  many 
battles."  I  spoke  with  considerable  pride. 

"Well,  as  there  are  no  more  buffalo  to 
chase  now,  your  pony  will  have  to  pull  the 
plow  like  the  rest.  But  if  you  ride  him  to 
school,  you  can  join  in  the  races.  On  the 
holy  days  the  young  men  race  horses,  too." 
19 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

Red  Feather  and  White  Fish  spoke  both 
together,  while  I  listened  attentively,  for 
everything  was  strange  to  me. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  the  'holy  days'?" 
I  asked. 

"Well,  that's  another  of  the  white  people's 
customs.  Every  seventh  day  they  call  a 
'holy  day',  and  on  that  day  they  go  to  a 
'Holy  House',  where  they  pray  to  their  Great 
Mystery.  They  also  say  that  no  one  should 
work  on  that  day." 

This  definition  of  Sunday  and  church- 
going  set  me  to  thinking  again,  for  I  never 
knew  before  that  there  was  any  difference 
in  the  days. 

"But  how  do  you  count  the  days,  and  how 
do  you  know  what  day  to  begin  with?"  I 
inquired. 

"Oh,  that's  easy!  The  white  men  have 
everything  in  their  books.  They  know  how 
many  days  in  a  year,  and  they  have  even 
divided  the  day  itself  into  so  many  equal 
parts ;  in  fact,  they  have  divided  them  again 
and  again  until  they  know  how  many  times 
one  can  breathe  in  a  day,"  said  White  Fish, 
with  the  air  of  a  learned  man. 
20 


My  First  School  Days 

"That's  impossible,"  I  thought,  so  I 
shook  my  head. 

By  this  time  we  had  reached  the  second 
crossing  of  the  river,  on  whose  bank  stood  the 
little  mission  school.  Thirty  or  forty  Indian 
children  stood  about,  curiously  watching  the 
newcomer  as  we  came  up  the  steep  bank. 
I  realized  for  the  first  time  that  I  was  an 
object  of  curiosity,  and  it  was  not  a  pleasant 
feeling.  On  the  other  hand,  I  was  consider 
ably  interested  in  the  strange  appearance  of 
these  school-children. 

They  all  had  on  some  apology  for  white 
man's  clothing,  but  their  pantaloons  belonged 
neither  to  the  order  short  nor  to  the  long. 
Their  coats,  some  of  them,  met  only  half 
way  by  the  help  of  long  strings.  Others 
were  lapped  over  in  front,  and  held  on  by  a 
string  of  some  sort  fastened  round  the  body. 
Some  of  their  hats  were  brimless  and  others 
without  crowns,  while  most  were  fantastically 
painted.  The  hair  of  all  the  boys  was  cut 
short,  and,  in  spite  of  the  evidences  of  great 
effort  to  keep  it  down,  it  stood  erect  like 
porcupine  quills.  I  thought,  as  I  stood  on 
one  side  and  took  a  careful  observation  of  the 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

motley  gathering,  that  if  I  had  to  look  like 
these  boys  in  order  to  obtain  something  of  the 
white  man's  learning,  it  was  time  for  me  to 
rebel. 

The  boys  played  ball  and  various  other 
games,  but  I  tied  my  pony  to  a  tree  and  then 
walked  up  to  the  schoolhouse  and  stood 
there  as  still  as  if  I  had  been  glued  to  the  wall. 
Presently  the  teacher  came  out  and  rang  a 
bell,  and  all  the  children  went  in,  but  I  waited 
for  some  time  before  entering,  and  then  slid 
inside  and  took  the  seat  nearest  the  door. 
I  felt  singularly  out  of  place,  and  for  the 
twentieth  time  wished  my  father  had  not 
sent  me. 

When  the  teacher  spoke  to  me,  I  had  not 
the  slightest  idea  what  he  meant,  so  I  did  not 
trouble  myself  to  make  any  demonstration, 
for  fear  of  giving  offense.  Finally  he  asked 
in  broken  Sioux:  "What  is  your  name?" 
Evidently  he  had  not  been  among  the  Indians 
long,  or  he  would  not  have  asked  that  ques 
tion.  It  takes  a  tactician  and  a  diplomat  to 
get  an  Indian  to  tell  his  name !  The  poor 
man  was  compelled  to  give  up  the  attempt 
and  resume  his  seat  on  the  platform. 


My  First  School  Days 

He  then  gave  some  unintelligible  directions, 
and,  to  my  great  surprise,  the  pupils  in  turn 
held  their  books  open  and  talked  the  talk  of  a 
strange  people.  Afterward  the  teacher  made 
some  curious  signs  upon  a  blackboard  on  the 
wall,  and  seemed  to  ask  the  children  to  read 
them.  To  me  they  did  not  compare  in  inter 
est  with  my  bird's-track  and  fish-fin  studies 
on  the  sands.  I  was  something  like  a  wild 
cub  caught  overnight,  and  appearing  in  the 
corral  next  morning  with  the  lambs.  I  had 
seen  nothing  thus  far  to  prove  to  me  the  good 
of  civilization. 

Meanwhile  the  children  grew  more  familiar, 
and  whispered  references  were  made  to  the 
"new  boy's"  personal  appearance.  At  last 
he  was  called  "Baby"  by  one  of  the  big  boys ; 
but  this  was  not  meant  for  him  to  hear,  so  he 
did  not  care  to  hear.  He  rose  silently  and 
walked  out.  He  did  not  dare  to  do  or  say 
anything  in  departing.  The  boys  watched 
him  as  he  led  his  pony  to  the  river  to  drink 
and  then  jumped  upon  his  back  and  started 
for  home  at  a  good  pace.  They  cheered  as 
he  started  over  the  hills  :  "Hoo-oo !  hoo-oo ! 
there  goes  the  long-haired  boy  !" 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

When  I  was  well  out  of  sight  of  the  school, 
I  pulled  in  my  pony  and  made  him  walk 
slowly  home. 

"Will  going  to  that  place  make  a  man 
brave  and  strong?"  I  asked  myself.  "I 
must  tell  my  father  that  I  cannot  stay  here. 
I  must  go  back  to  my  uncle  in  Canada,  who 
taught  me  to  hunt  and  shoot  and  to  be  a 
brave  man.  They  might  as  well  try  to  make 
a  buffalo  build  houses  like  a  beaver  as  to 
teach  me  to  be  a  white  man,"  I  thought. 

It  was  growing  late  when  at  last  I  appeared 
at  the  cabin.  "Why,  what  is  the  matter?" 
quoth  my  old  grandmother,  who  had  taken 
especial  pride  in  me  as  a  promising  young 
hunter.  Really,  my  face  had  assumed  a  look 
of  distress  and  mental  pressure  that  frightened 
the  superstitious  old  woman.  She  held  her 
peace,  however,  until  my  father  returned. 

"Ah,"  she  said  then,  "I  never  fully  believed 
in  these  new  manners !  The  Great  Mystery 
cannot  make  a  mistake.  I  say  it  is  against 
our  religion  to  change  the  customs  that  have 
been  practiced  by  our  people  ages  back  - 
so  far  back  that  no  one  can  remember  it. 
Many  of  the  school-children  have  died,  you 
24 


My  First  School  Days 

have  told  me.  It  is  not  strange.  You  have 
offended  Him,  because  you  have  made  these 
children  change  the  ways  he  has  given  us. 
I  must  know  more  about  this  matter  before 
I  give  my  consent . ' '  Grandmother  had  opened 
her  mind  in  unmistakable  terms,  and  the 
whole  family  was  listening  to  her  in  silence. 

Then  my  hard-headed  father  broke  the 
pause.  "Here  is  one  Sioux  who  will  sacrifice 
everything  to  win  the  wisdom  of  the  white 
man !  We  have  now  entered  upon  this  life, 
and  there  is  no  going  back.  Besides,  one 
would  be  like  a  hobbled  pony  without 
learning  to  live  like  those  among  whom  we 
must  live." 

During  father's  speech  my  eyes  had  been 
fixed  upon  the  burning  logs  that  stood  on 
end  in  the  huge  mud  chimney  in  a  corner  of 
the  cabin.  I  didn't  want  to  go  to  that 
place  again;  but  father's  logic  was  too 
strong  for  me,  and  the  next  morning  I 
had  my  long  hair  cut,  and  started  in  to 
school  in  earnest. 

I  obeyed  my  father's  wishes,  and  went 
regularly  to  the  little  day-school,  but  as  yet 
my  mind  was  in  darkness.  What  has  all  this 
25 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

talk  of  books  to  do  with  hunting,  or  even 
with  planting  corn?  I  thought.  The  sub 
ject  occupied  my  thoughts  more  and  more, 
doubtless  owing  to  my  father's  decided  posi 
tion  on  the  matter ;  while,  on  the  other  hand, 
my  grandmother's  view  of  this  new  life  was 
not  encouraging. 

I  took  the  situation  seriously  enough,  and 
I  remember  \  went  with  it  where  all  my  people 
go  when  they  want  light  —  into  the  thick 
woods.  I  needed  counsel,  and  human  counsel 
did  not  satisfy  me.  I  had  been  taught  to 
seek  the  "Great  Mystery"  in  silence,  in  the 
deep  forest  or  on  the  height  of  the  mountain. 
There  were  no  mountains  here,  so  I  retired 
into  the  woods.  I  knew  nothing  of  the  white 
man's  religion ;  I  only  followed  the  teaching 
of  my  ancestors. 

When  I  came  back,  my  heart  was  strong. 
I  desired  to  follow  the  new  trail  to  the  end. 
I  knew  that,  like  the  little  brook,  it  must  lead 
to  larger  and  larger  ones  until  it  became  a 
resistless  river,  and  I  shivered  to  think  of  it. 
But  again  I  recalled  the  teachings  of  my 
people,  and  determined  to  imitate  their 
undaunted  bravery  and  stoic  resignation. 
26 


My  First  School  Days 

However,  I  was  far  from  having  realized 
the  long,  tedious  years  of  study  and  confine 
ment  before  I  could  begin  to  achieve  what  I 
had  planned. 

"You  must  not  fear  to  work  with  your 
hands,"  said  my  father,  "but  if  you  are  able 
to  think  strongly  and  well,  that  will  be  a 
quiver  full  of  arrows  for  you,  my  son.  All 
of  the  white  man's  children  must  go  to  school, 
but  those  who  study  best  and  longest  need  not 
work  with  their  hands  after  that,  for  they 
can  work  with  their  minds.  You  may  plow 
the  five  acres  next  the  river,  and  see  if  you 
can  make  a  straight  furrow  as  well  as  a 
straight  shot." 

I  set  to  work  with  the  heavy  breaking- 
plow  and  yoke  of  oxen,  but  I  am  sorry  to 
admit  that  the  work  was  poorly  done.  "It 
will  be  better  for  you  to  go  away  to  a  higher 
school,"  advised  my  father. 

It  appears  remarkable  to  me  now  that 
my  father,  thorough  Indian  as  he  was, 
should  have  had  such  deep  and  sound  con 
ceptions  of  a  true  civilization.  But  there 
is  the  contrast  —  my  father's  mother  !  whose 
faith  in  her  people's  philosophy  and  training 
27 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

could  not  be  superseded  by  any  other  alle 
giance. 

To  her  such  a  life  as  we  lead  to-day  would 
be  no  less  than  sacrilege.  "It  is  not  a  true 
life,"  she  often  said.  "  It  is  a  sham.  I  cannot 
bear  to  see  my  boy  live  a  made-up  life !" 

Ah,  grandmother !  you  had  forgotten  one 
of  the  first  principles  of  your  own  teaching, 
namely:  "When  you  see  a  new  trail,  or  a 
footprint  that  you  do  not  know,  follow  it  to 
the  point  of  knowing." 

"All  I  want  to  say  to  you,"  the  old  grand 
mother  seems  to  answer,  "is  this:  Do  not 
get  lost  on  this  new  trail." 

"I  find,"  said  my  father  to  me,  "that  the 
white  man  has  a  well-grounded  religion,  and 
teaches  his  children  the  same  virtues  that 
our  people  taught  to  theirs.  The  Great 
Mystery  has  shown  to  the  red  and  white 
man  alike  the  good  and  evil,  from  which  to 
choose.  I  think  the  way  of  the  white  man  is 
better  than  ours,  because  he  is  able  to  pre 
serve  on  paper  the  things  he  does  not  want  to 
forget.  He  records  everything  —  the  sayings 
of  his  wise  men,  the  laws  enacted  by  his 
counselors." 

28 


My  First  School  Days 

I  began  to  be  really  interested  in  this 
curious  scheme  of  living  that  my  father  was 
gradually  unfolding  to  me  out  of  his  limited 
experience. 

"The  way  of  knowledge,"  he  continued, 
"is  like  our  old  way  in  hunting.  You  begin 
with  a  mere  trail  —  a  footprint.  If  you 
follow  that  faithfully,  it  may  lead  you  to  a 
clearer  trail  —  a  track  —  a  road.  Later  on 
there  will  be  many  tracks,  crossing  and 
diverging  one  from  the  other.  Then  you 
must  be  careful,  for  success  lies  in  the  choice 
of  the  right  road.  You  must  be  doubly  care 
ful,  for  traps  will  be  laid  for  you,  of  which 
the  most  dangerous  is  the  spirit-water,  that 
causes  a  man  to  forget  his  self-respect," 
he  added,  unwittingly  giving  to  his  aged 
mother  material  for  her  argument  against 
civilization. 

The  general  effect  upon  me  of  these  dis 
cussions,  which  were  logical  enough  on  the 
whole,  although  almost  entirely  from  the 
outside,  was  that  I  became  convinced  that 
my  father  was  right. 

My  grandmother  had  to  yield  at  last,  and 
it  was  settled  that  I  was  to  go  to  school  at 
29 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

Santee  agency,  Nebraska,  where  Dr.  Alfred 
L.  Riggs  was  then  fairly  started  in  the  work 
of  his  great  mission  school,  which  has  turned 
out  some  of  the  best  educated  Sioux  Indians. 
It  was  at  that  time  the  Mecca  of  the  Sioux 
country ;  even  though  Sitting  Bull  and  Crazy 
Horse  were  still  at  large,  harassing  soldiers 
and  emigrants  alike,  and  General  Custer  had 
just  been  placed  in  military  command  of  the 
Dakota  Territory. 


30 


Ill 

ON  THE   WHITE   MAN'S  TRAIL 

TT  was  in  the  fall  of  1874  that  I  started 
•*•  from  Flandreau,  then  only  an  Indian 
settlement,  with  a  good  neighbor  of  ours 
on  his  way  to  Santee.  There  were  only  a 
dozen  houses  or  so  at  Sioux  Falls,  and  the 
whole  country  was  practically  uninhabited, 
when  we  embarked  in  a  home-made  prairie 
schooner,  on  that  bright  September  morning. 

I  had  still  my  Hudson  Bay  flintlock 
gun,  which  I  had  brought  down  with  me 
from  Canada  the  year  before.  I  took  that 
old  companion,  with  my  shot-pouch  and  a 
well-filled  powder-horn.  All  I  had  besides 
was  a  blanket,  and  an  extra  shirt.  I  wore 
my  hunting  suit,  which  was  a  compromise 
between  Indian  attire  and  a  frontiersman's 
outfit.  I  was  about  sixteen  years  old  and 
small  of  my  age. 

"Remember,  my  boy,  it  is  the  same  as  if 
31 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

I  sent  you  on  your  first  war-path.  I  shall 
expect  you  to  conquer,"  was  my  father's 
farewell.  My  good  grandmother,  who  had 
brought  me  up  as  a  motherless  child,  be 
stowed  upon  me  her  blessing.  "Always 
remember,"  said  she,  "that  the  Great 
Mystery  is  good;  evil  can  come  only  from 
ourselves!"  Thus  I  parted  with  my  first 
teacher  —  the  woman  who  taught  me  to 
pray! 

Our  first  night  out  was  at  Hole-in-the-Hill, 
one  of  the  most  picturesque  spots  in  the 
valley.  Here  I  brought  in  a  doe,  which  I 
had  come  upon  in  the  tall  grass  of  the  river 
bottom.  Peter  shot  several  ducks,  and  we 
had  a  good  supper.  It  seemed  to  me  more 
like  one  of  our  regular  fall  hunts  than  like 
going  away  to  school. 

After  supper  I  said,  "I  am  going  to  set 
some  of  your  traps,  uncle." 

"And  I  will  go  with  you,"  replied  Peter. 
"But  before  we  go,  we  must  have  our 
prayer,"  and  he  took  out  his  Bible  and 
hymn-book  printed  in  the  Indian  tongue. 

It  was  all  odd  enough  to  me,  for  although 
my  father  did  the  same,  I  had  not  yet  become 
32 


H 


ss 


a  6 


On  the  White  Man's  Trail 

thoroughly  used  to  such  things.  Neverthe 
less,  it  was  the  new  era  for  the  Indian ;  and 
while  we  were  still  seated  on  the  ground 
around  the  central  fire  of  the  Sioux  teepee, 
and  had  just  finished  our  repast  of  wild  game, 
Peter  read  from  the  good  book,  and  per 
formed  the  devotional  exercises  of  his  teepee 
home,  with  quite  as  much  zeal  as  if  he  were 
within  four  walls  and  surrounded  by  civilized 
things.  I  was  very  much  impressed  when 
this  primitive  Christian  prayed  that  I  might 
succeed  in  my  new  undertaking. 

The  next  morning  was  frosty,  and  after 
an  early  breakfast  we  hurried  to  our  traps. 
I  got  two  fine  minks  and  a  beaver  for  my 
trouble,  while  Peter  came  home  smiling 
with  two  otters  and  three  beaver.  I  saw 
that  he  had  something  on  his  mind,  but, 
like  a  true  Indian,  I  held  my  peace.  At 
last  he  broke  the  news  to  me  —  he  had 
changed  his  mind  about  going  to  Santee 
agency ! 

I   did   not  blame  him  —  it   was   hard  to 

leave    such    a    trapper's    paradise    as    this, 

alive  with  signs  of  otter,  mink,  and  beaver. 

I  said  nothing,  but  thought  swiftly.     The 

33 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

temptation  was  strong  to  remain  and  trap 
too.  That  would  please  my  grandmother; 
and  I  will  confess  here  that  no  lover  is  more 
keen  to  do  the  right  thing  for  the  loved  one 
than  I  was  at  that  time  to  please  my  old 
grandmother. 

The  thought  of  my  father's  wish  kept 
me  on  my  true  course.  Leaving  my  gun 
with  Peter,  I  took  my  blanket  on  my  back 
and  started  for  the  Missouri  on  foot. 

"Tell  my  father,"  I  said,  "that  I  shall 
not  return  until  I  finish  my  war-path." 

But  the  voice  of  the  waterfall,  near 
what  is  now  the  city  of  Sioux  Falls,  sounded 
like  the  spirits  of  woods  and  water  crying 
for  their  lost  playmate,  and  I  thought  for  a 
moment  of  turning  back  to  Canada,  there 
to  regain  my  freedom  and  wild  life.  Still, 
I  had  sent  word  to  my  father  that  this  war 
path  should  be  completed,  and  I  remembered 
how  he  had  said  that  if  I  did  not  return,  he 
would  shed  proud  tears. 

About  this  time  I  did  some  of  the  hardest 

thinking  that  I  have  ever  done  in  my  life. 

All  day  I  traveled,  and  did  not  see  any  one 

until,  late  in  the  afternoon,  descending  into 

34 


On  the  White  Man's  Trail 

the  valley  of  a  stream,  I  came  suddenly 
upon  a  solitary  farm-house  of  sod,  and  was 
met  by  a  white  man  —  a  man  with  much 
hair  on  his  face. 

I  was  hungry  and  thirsty  as  a  moose  in 
burned  timber.  I  had  some  money  that  my 
father  had  given  me  —  I  hardly  knew  the 
different  denominations ;  so  I  showed  the 
man  all  of  it,  and  told  him  by  signs  that  he 
might  take  what  he  pleased  if  only  he  would 
let  me  have  something  to  eat,  and  a  little 
food  to  carry  with  me.  As  for  lodging,  I 
would  not  have  slept  in  his  house  if  he  had 
promised  me  a  war-bonnet ! 

While  he  was  cordial  —  at  any  rate, 
after  I  exhibited  my  money  —  there  was 
something  about  his  manner  that  did  not 
put  me  at  my  ease,  and  my  wild  instincts 
told  me  to  keep  an  eye  on  him.  But  I  was 
not  alone  in  this  policy,  for  his  flock  of  four 
daughters  and  a  son  nearly  put  their  necks 
out  of  joint  in  following  my  modest,  shy 
movements. 

When  they  invited  me  to  sit  down  with 
them  at  the  table,  I  felt  uncomfortable, 
but  hunger  was  stronger  than  my  fears 
35 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

and  modesty.  The  climax  came  when  I 
took  my  seat  on  a  rickety  stool  between  the 
big,  hairy  man  and  one  of  his  well-grown 
daughters.  I  felt  not  unlike  a  young  blue 
heron  just  leaving  the  nest  to  partake  of 
his  first  meal  on  an  unsafe,  swinging  branch. 
I  was  entirely  uncertain  of  my  perch. 

All  at  once,  without  warning,  the  man 
struck  the  table  with  the  butt  of  his  knife 
with  such  force  that  I  jumped  and  wras 
within  an  ace  of  giving  a  war-whoop.  In 
spite  of  their  taking  a  firm  hold  of  the 
home-made  table  to  keep  it  steady,  the 
dishes  were  quivering,  and  the  young  ladies 
no  longer  able  to  maintain  their  composure. 
Severe  glances  from  mother  and  father  soon 
brought  us  calm,  when  it  appeared  that  the 
blow  on  the  table  was  merely  a  signal  for 
quiet  before  saying  grace.  I  pulled  myself 
in,  much  as  a  turtle  would  do,  and  possibly 
it  should  be  credited  to  the  stoicism  of  my 
race  that  I  scarcely  ever  ate  a  heartier  meal. 

After  supper  I  got  up  and  held  out  to  the 

farmer  nearly  all  the  money  I  had.     I  did 

not  care  whether  he  took  it  all  or  not.     I 

was  grateful  for  the  food,  and  money  had 

36 


On  the  White  Man's  Trail 

no  such  hold  on  my  mind  as  it  has  gained 
since.  To  my  astonishment,  he  simply 
smiled,  shook  his  head,  and  stroked  his 
shaggy  beard. 

I  was  invited  to  join  the  family  in  the 
sod-house  parlor,  but  owing  to  the  severe 
nerve-shocks  that  I  had  experienced  at 
the  supper-table,  I  respectfully  declined, 
and  betook  myself  to  the  bank  of  the  stream 
near  by,  where  I  sat  down  to  meditate. 
Presently  there  pealed  forth  a  peculiar, 
weird  music,  and  the  words  of  a  strange  song. 
It  was  music  from  a  melodeon,  but  I  did  not 
then  know  what  that  was ;  and  the  tune  was 
"Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee."  Strange  as 
it  sounded  to  me,  I  felt  that  there  was 
something  soothing  and  gentle  about  the 
music  and  the  voices. 

After  a  while  curiosity  led  me  back  to 
the  sod  house,  and  I  saw  for  the  first  time 
how  the  white  woman  pumps  so  much  air 
into  a  box  that  when  she  presses  on  the  top 
boards  it  howls  convulsively.  I  forgot  my 
bashfulness  so  far  as  to  listen  openly  and 
enjoy  the  operation,  wondering  much  how  the 
white  man  puts  a  pair  of  lungs  into  a  box, 
37 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

which  is  furnished  with  a  whole  set  of  black 
and  white  teeth,  and  when  he  sings  to  it,  it 
appears  to  answer  him. 

Presently  I  walked  over  to  a  shed  where 
the  farmer  seemed  to  be  very  busy  with  his 
son,  earnestly  hammering  something  with 
all  their  might  in  the  midst  of  glowing  fire 
and  sparks.  He  had  an  old  breaking-plow 
which  he  was  putting  into  shape  on  his  rude 
forge.  With  sleeves  rolled  up,  face  and 
hands  blackened  and  streaming  with  sweat, 
I  thought  he  looked  not  unlike  a  successful 
warrior  just  returned  from  the  field  of  battle. 
His  powerful  muscles  and  the  manly  way  in 
which  he  handled  the  iron  impressed  me 
tremendously.  "I  shall  learn  that  profession 
if  ever  I  reach  the  school  and  learn  the  white 
man's  way,"  I  thought. 

I  thanked  the  good  man  for  his  kind 
invitation  to  sleep  within  the  sod  walls  with 
all  his  family,  but  signed  to  him  that  I 
preferred  to  sleep  out-of-doors.  I  could  see 
some  distrust  in  his  eyes,  for  his  horses  were 
in  the  open  stable;  and  at  that  my  temper 
rose,  but  I  managed  to  control  it.  He  had 
been  kind  to  me,  and  no  Indian  will  break 
38 


On  the  White  Man's  Trail 

the  law  of  hospitality  unless  he  has  lost  all 
the  trails  of  his  people.  The  man  looked 
me  over  again  carefully,  and  appeared 
satisfied;  and  I  rolled  myself  up  in  my 
blanket  among  the  willows,  but  every  star 
that  night  seemed  to  be  bent  upon  telling 
the  story  of  the  white  man. 

I  slept  little,  and  early  the  next  morning 

I    was    awakened    by    the    barking    of    the 

farmer's    collie    and    the    laughter    of    his 

daughters.     I  got  up  and  came  to  the  house. 

Breakfast    was    nearly    ready,    and    every 

member  of  the  family  was  on  hand.     After 

/breakfast  I  once  more  offered  my  money, 

but   was   refused.     I   was   glad.     Then   and 

/  there  I  loved  civilization  and  renounced  my 

I  wild  life. 

I  took  up  my  blanket  and  continued  on 
my  journey,  which  for  three  days  was  a 
lonely  one.  I  had  nothing  with  which  to 
kill  any  game,  so  I  stopped  now  and  then 
at  a  sod  house  for  food.  When  I  reached 
the  back  hills  of  the  Missouri,  there  lay 
before  me  a  long  slope  leading  to  the  river 
bottom,  and  upon  the  broad  flat,  as  far  as 
niy  eyes  could  reach,  lay  farm-houses  and 
39 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

farms.  Ah !  I  thought,  this  is  the  way  of 
civilization,  the  basis  upon  which  it  rests ! 
I  desired  to  know  that  life. 

Thirty  miles  from  the  school  I  met  Dr. 
Riggs  on  the  road,  coming  to  the  town  of 
Yankton,  and  received  some  encouraging 
words  from  him,  for  he  spoke  the  Sioux 
language  very  well.  A  little  further  on  I 
met  the  Indian  agent,  Major  Sears,  a  Quaker, 
and  he,  too,  gave  me  a  word  of  encouragement 
when  he  learned  that  I  had  walked  a  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  to  school.  My  older  brother 
John,  who  was  then  assistant  teacher  and 
studying  under  Dr.  Riggs,  met  me  at  the 
school  and  introduced  me  to  my  new  life. 

The  bell  of  the  old  chapel  at  Santee 
summoned  the  pupils  to  class.  Our 
principal  read  aloud  from  a  large  book 
and  offered  prayer.  Although  he  conducted 
devotional  exercises  in  the  Sioux  language, 
the  subject  matter  was  still  strange,  and 
the  names  he  used  were  unintelligible  to 
me.  "Jesus"  and  "Jehovah"  fell  upon  my 
ears  as  mere  meaningless  sounds. 

I  understood  that  he  was  praying  to  the 
"Great  Mystery"  that  the  work  of  the  day 
40 


REV.  ALFRED  L.  RIGGS,  SUPERINTENDENT  SANTEE 
TRAINING  SCHOOL. 


On  the  White  Man's  Trail 

might  be  blessed  and  their  labor  be  fruitful. 
A  cold  sweat  came  out  upon  me  as  I  heard 
him  ask  the  "Great  Mystery"  to  be  with 
us  in  that  day's  work  in  that  school  building. 
I  thought  it  was  too  much  to  ask  of  Him.  I 
had  been  taught  that  the  Supreme  Being 
is  only  concerned  with  spirits,  and  that 
when  one  wishes  to  commune  with  Him  in 
nature  he  must  be  in  a  spiritual  attitude, 
and  must  retire  from  human  sound  or  in 
fluence,  alone  in  the  wilderness.  Here  for 
the  first  time  I  heard  Him  addressed  openly 
in  the  presence  of  a  house  full  of  young  men 
and  young  girls ! 

All  the  scholars  were  ordered  to  various 
rooms  under  different  instructors,  and  I 
was  left  in  the  chapel  with  another  long 
haired  young  man.  He  was  a  Mandan  from 
Fort  Berthold  —  one  of  our  ancient  enemies. 
Not  more  than  two  years  before  that  time 
my  uncle  had  been  on  the  war-path  against 
this  tribe  and  had  brought  home  two  Mandan 
scalps.  He,  too,  was  a  new  scholar,  and 
looked  as  if  he  were  about  to  come  before 
the  judge  to  receive  his  sentence.  My 
heart  at  once  went  out  to  him,  although  the 
41 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

other  pupils  were  all  of  my  own  tribe,  the 
Sioux.  I  noticed  that  he  had  beautiful 
long  hair  arranged  in  two  plaits,  and  in  spite 
of  his  sad  face  he  was  noble-looking  and 
appeared  to  great  advantage,  I  thought,  in 
contrast  with  the  other  pupils,  whose  hair 
was  cut  short  and  their  garments  not  be 
coming  to  them  at  all.  This  boy,  Alfred 
Mandan,  became  a  very  good  friend  of 
mine. 

Dr.  Riggs  took  me  in  hand  and  told  me 
the  rules  of  the  school  and  what  was  expected 
of  us.  There  was  the  chapel,  which  was 
used  as  a  church  every  Sunday  and  as  a 
schoolhouse  on  week  days.  There  was  the 
Dakota  Home  for  the  girls'  dormitory  —  a 
small,  square  frame  building  —  and  for  the 
boys  a  long  log  house  some  two  hundred 
yards  from  the  chapel  under  the  large  cotton- 
wood-trees. 

Dr.  Riggs  said  that  I  need  not  study 
that  first  day,  but  could  fill  up  the  big  bag 
he  brought  me  with  straw  from  the  straw 
pile  back  of  his  barn.  I  carried  it  over  to 
the  log  cabin,  where  the  Doctor  was  before 
me  and  had  provided  a  bunk  or  framework 
42 


On  the  White  Man's  Trail 

for  my  bed.  I  filled  a  smaller  bag  for  a 
pillow,  and,  having  received  the  sheets  and 
blankets,  I  made  my  first  white  man's  bed 
under  his  supervision.  When  it  was  done  it 
looked  clean  and  dignified  enough  for  any 
one,  I  thought. 

He  said  that  I  must  make  it  every  morning 
like  that  before  going  to  school.  "And  for 
your  wash,  there  is  a  tin  basin  or  two  on  a 
bench  just  outside  of  the  door,  by  the  water- 
barrels."  And  so  it  was.  We  had  three 
barrels  of  Missouri  River  water,  which  we 
ourselves  filled  up  every  week,  for  we  boys 
had  to  furnish  our  own  water  and  wood, 
and  were  detailed  in  pairs  for  this  work. 

Dr.  Riggs  supplied  axes  for  the  wood- 
choppers,  and  barrels  and  pails  for  the  water- 
carriers,  also  a  yoke  of  large  and  gentle 
white  oxen  and  a  lumber-wagon.  It  seems 
to  me  that  I  never  was  better  acquainted 
with  two  animals  than  with  these  two !  I 
have  done  some  of  my  solemnest  thinking 
behind  them.  The  Missouri  River  was 
about  two  miles  from  our  log  house,  with  a 
wide  stretch  of  bottom  land  intervening, 
partly  cottonwood  timber  and  partly  open 
43 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

meadow  with  tall  grass.  I  could  take  a 
nap,  or  dance  a  war-dance,  if  I  cared  to  do 
so,  while  they  were  carrying  me  to  wood  or 
to  water. 

Dr.  Riggs  gave  me  a  little  English  primer 
to  study,  also  one  or  two  books  in  the  Dakota 
language,  which  I  had  learned  to  read  in  the 
day-school.  There  was  a  translation  of  the 
Psalms,  and  of  the  Pilgrim's  Progress.  I 
must  confess  that  at  that  time  I  would  have 
preferred  one  of  grandmother's  evening 
stories,  or  my  uncle's  account  of  his  day's 
experiences  in  the  chase.  I  thought  it  was 
the  dullest  hunting  I  had  ever  known ! 

Toward  evening  a  company  of  three 
young  men  arrived  from  up  the  river  —  to 
all  appearance  full-fledged  warriors.  Ah,  it 
was  good  to  see  the  handsome  white,  blue, 
and  red  blankets  worn  by  these  stately 
Sioux  youths !  I  had  not  worn  one  since 
my  return  from  Canada.  My  brother  got 
me  a  suit  of  clothes,  and  had  some  one  cut 
my  hair,  which  was  already  over  my  ears, 
as  it  had  not  been  touched  since  the  year 
before.  I  felt  like  a  wild  goose  with  its  wings 
clipped. 

44 


On  the  White  Man's  Trail 

Next  morning  the  day  pupils  emerged 
in  every  direction  from  the  woods  and  deep 
ravines  where  the  Indians  had  made  their 
temporary  homes,  while  we,  the  log-cabin 
boarders,  came  out  in  Indian  file.  The 
chapel  bell  was  tolling  as  we  reached  the 
yard,  when  my  attention  was  attracted  to  a 
pretty  lass  standing  with  her  parents  and 
Dr.  Riggs  near  the  Dakota  Home.  Then 
they  separated  and  the  father  and  mother 
came  toward  us,  leaving  the  Doctor  and  the 
pretty  Dakota  maiden  standing  still.  All 
at  once  the  girl  began  to  run  toward  her 
parents,  screaming  pitifully. 

"Oh,  I  cannot,  I  cannot  stay  in  the  white 
man's  house !  I'll  die,  I'll  die !  Mamma ! 
Mamma !" 

The  parents  stopped  and  reasoned  with 
the  girl,  but  it  was  of  no  use.  Then  I  saw 
them  leading  her  back  to  the  Dakota  Home, 
in  spite  of  her  pleading  and  begging.  The 
scene  made  my  blood  boil,  and  I  suppressed 
with  difficulty  a  strong  desire  to  go  to  her 
aid. 

How  well  I  remember  the  first  time  we 
were  called  upon  to  recite !  In  the  same 
45 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

primer  class  were  Eagle-Crane,  Kite,  and 
their  compatriot  from  up  the  river.  For  a 
whole  week  we  youthful  warriors  were  held 
up  and  harassed  with  words  of  three  letters. 
Like  raspberry  bushes  in  the  path,  they  tore, 
bled,  and  sweated  us  —  those  little  words 
rat,  cat,  and  so  forth  —  until  not  a  semblance 
of  our  native  dignity  and  self-respect  was 
left.  And  we  were  of  just  the  age  when  the 
Indian  youth  is  most  on  his  dignity  !  Imag 
ine  the  same  fellows  turned  loose  against 
Custer  or  Harney  with  anything  like  equal 
numbers  and  weapons,  and  those  tried 
generals  would  feel  like  boys !  We  had 
been  bred  and  trained  to  those  things;  but 
when  we  found  ourselves  within  four  walls 
and  set  to  pick  out  words  of  three  letters 
we  were  like  novices  upon  snow-shoes  — 
often  flat  on  the  ground. 

I  hardly  think  I  was  ever  tired  in  my  life 
until  those  first  days  of  boarding-school. 
All  day  things  seemed  to  come  and  pass 
with  a  wearisome  regularity,  like  walking 
railway  ties  —  the  step  was  too  short  for 
me.  At  times  I  felt  something  of  the  fascina 
tion  of  the  new  life,  and  again  there  would 
46 


On  the  White  Man's  Trail 

arise  in  me  a  dogged  resistance,  and  a  voice 
seemed  to  be  saying,  "It  is  cowardly  to 
depart  from  the  old  things!" 

Aside  from  repeating  and  spelling  words, 
we  had  to  count  and  add  imaginary  amounts. 
We  never  had  had  any  money  to  count,  nor 
potatoes,  nor  turnips,  nor  bricks.  Why,  we 
valued  nothing  except  honor;  that  cannot 
be  purchased !  It  seemed  now  that  every 
thing  must  be  measured  in  time  or  money 
or  distance.  And  when  the  teacher  placed 
before  us  a  painted  globe,  and  said  that  our 
world  was  like  that  —  that  upon  such  a 
thing  our  forefathers  had  roamed  and  hunted 
for  untold  ages,  as  it  whirled  and  danced 
around  the  sun  in  space  —  I  felt  that  my 
foothold  was  deserting  me.  All  my  savage 
training  and  philosophy  was  in  the  air,  if 
these  things  were  true. 

Later  on,  when  Dr.  Riggs  explained  to 
us  the  industries  of  the  white  man,  his 
thrift  and  forethought,  we  could  see  the 
reasonableness  of  it  all.  Economy  is  the 
able  assistant  of  labor,  and  the  two  together 
produce  great  results.  The  systems  and 
methods  of  business  were  of  great  interest 
47 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

to  us,  and  especially  the  adoption  of  a  medium 
of  exchange. 

The  Doctor's  own  personality  impressed 
us  deeply,  and  his  words  of  counsel  and 
daily  prayers,  strange  to  us  at  first,  in  time 
found  root  in  our  minds.  Next  to  my  own 
father,  this  man  did  more  than  perhaps  any 
other  to  make  it  possible  for  me  to  grasp 
the  principles  of  true  civilization.  He  also 
strengthened  and  developed  in  me  that 
native  strong  ambition  to  win  out,  by  stick 
ing  to  whatever  I  might  undertake.  Asso 
ciated  with  him  was  another  man  who  in 
fluenced  me  powerfully  toward  Christian 
living.  This  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  P. 
Williamson,  the  pioneer  Presbyterian  mis 
sionary.  The  world  seemed  gradually  to 
unfold  before  me,  and  the  desire  to  know  all 
that  the  white  man  knows  was  the  tre 
mendous  and  prevailing  thought  in  me, 
and  was  constantly  growing  upon  me  more 
and  more. 

My  father   wrote  to   me  in   the  Dakota 

language  for  my  encouragement.     Dr.  Riggs 

had  told  him  that  I  was  not  afraid  of  books 

or  of  work,  but  rather  determined  to  profit 

48 


On  the  White  Man's  Trail 

by  them.  "My  son,"  he  wrote,  "I  believe 
that  an  Indian  can  learn  all  that  is  in  the 
books  of  the  white  man,  so  that  he  may  be 
equal  to  them  in  the  ways  of  the  mind!" 

I  studied  harder  than  most  of  the  boys. 
Missionaries  were  poor,  and  the  Govern 
ment  policy  of  education  for  the  Indian 
had  not  then  been  developed.  The  white 
man  in  general  had  no  use  for  the  Indian. 
Sitting  Bull  and  the  Northern  Cheyennes 
were  still  fighting  in  Wyoming  and  Montana, 
so  that  the  outlook  was  not  bright  for  me 
to  pursue  my  studies  among  the  whites, 
yet  it  was  now  my  secret  dream  and  ambi 
tion. 

It  was  at  Santee  that  I  sawed  my  first 
cord  of  wood.  Before  long  I  had  a  little 
money  of  my  own,  for  I  sawed  most  of  Dr. 
Riggs's  own  wood  and  some  at  the  Dakota 
Home,  besides  other  work  for  which  I  was 
paid.  Although  I  could  not  understand  or 
speak  much  English,  at  the  end  of  my  second 
year  I  could  translate  every  word  of  my 
English  studies  into  the  native  tongue, 
besides  having  read  all  that  was  then  pub 
lished  in  the  Sioux.  I  had  caught  up  with 
49 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

boys  who  had  two  or  three  years  the  start 
of  me,  and  was  now  studying  elementary 
algebra  and  geometry. 

One  day  Dr.  Riggs  came  to  me  and  said 
that  he  had  a  way  by  which  he  could  send 
me  to  Beloit,  Wisconsin,  to  enter  the  pre 
paratory  department  of  Beloit  College.  This 
was  a  great  opportunity,  and  I  grasped  it 
eagerly,  though  I  had  not  yet  lost  my  old 
timidity  about  venturing  alone  among  the 
white  people. 

On  the  eve  of  departure,  I  received  word 
from  Flandreau  that  my  father  was  dead, 
after  only  two  days'  illness.  He  was  still  in 
the  prime  of  life  and  a  tireless  worker.  This 
was  a  severe  shock  to  me,  but  I  felt  even 
more  strongly  that  I  must  carry  out  his 
wishes.  It  was  clear  that  he  who  had  sought 
me  out  among  the  wild  tribes  at  the  risk  of 
his  life,  and  set  my  feet  in  the  new  trail, 
should  be  obeyed  to  the  end.  I  did  not  go 
back  to  my  home,  but  in  September,  1876, 
I  started  from  Santee  to  Beloit  to  begin  my 
serious  studies. 


50 


IV 

COLLEGE  LIFE  IN  THE  WEST 


journey  to  Beloit  College  was  an 
education  in  itself.  At  Yankton  City 
I  boarded  the  train  for  the  first  time  in  my 
life,  but  not  before  having  made  a  careful 
inspection  of  the  locomotive  —  that  fiery 
monster  which  had  so  startled  me  on  my 
way  home  from  Canada.  Every  hour 
brought  new  discoveries  and  new  thoughts  — 
visions  that  came  and  passed  like  the  tele 
graph  poles  as  we  sped  [by.  More  and  more 
we  seemed  to  me  to  be  moving  upon  regions 
too  small  for  the  inhabitants.  Towns  and  vil 
lages  grew  ever  larger  and  nearer  together, 
until  at  last  we  reached  a  city  of  some  little 
size  where  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  change 
cars,  a  matter  that  had  been  arranged  by 
Dr.  Riggs  with  the  conductor.  The  streets 
looked  crowded  and  everybody  seemed  to 
be  in  the  greatest  possible  hurry.  I  was 
51 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

struck  with  the  splendor  of  the  shops  and 
the  brilliant  show  windows.  Some  one  took 
me  to  an  eating  house  and  left  me  alone  with 
the  pretty  waitress,  whose  bright  eyes  and 
fluent  speech  alarmed  me.  I  thought  it 
best  to  agree  with  everything  she  said,  so  I 
assented  with  a  nod  of  the  head,  and  I 
fancy  she  brought  me  everything  that  was 
on  the  bill  of  fare ! 

When  I  reached  Beloit  on  the  second  day 
of  my  pilgrimage,  I  found  it  beautifully 
located  on  the  high,  wooded  banks  of  Black 
Hawk's  picturesque  Rock  River.  The  col 
lege  grounds  covered  the  site  of  an  ancient 
village  of  mound-builders,  which  showed  to 
great  advantage  on  the  neat  campus,  where 
the  green  grass  was  evenly  cut  with  lawn- 
mowers.  I  was  taken  to  President  Chapin's 
house,  and  after  a  kindly  greeting,  shown 
to  my  room  in  South  College,  where  I  im 
mediately  opened  all  the  windows.  A 
young  man  emerged  from  our  building 
and  I  could  distinctly  hear  him  shouting 
to  another  across  the  Common : 

"Hurry  up,  Turkey,  or  you'll  not  have 
the  chance  to  face  old  Petty  again !  We 
52 


College  Life  in  the  West 

have  Sitting  Bull's  nephew  right  here,  and 
it's  more  than  likely  he'll  have  your  scalp- 
lock  before  morning!" 

"Turkey,"  as  I  soon  learned,  was  the  son 
of  a  missionary  to  that  country,  and  both  of 
these  boys  became  good  friends  of  mine 
afterward. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  this  was 
September,  1876,  less  than  three  months 
after  Ouster's  gallant  command  was  anni 
hilated  by  the  hostile  Sioux.  I  was  especially 
troubled  when  I  learned  that  my  two  uncles 
whom  we  left  in  Canada  had  taken  part  in 
this  famous  fight.  People  were  bitter  against 
the  Sioux  in  those  days,  and  I  think  it  was  a 
local  paper  that  printed  the  story  that  I  was 
a  nephew  of  Sitting  Bull,  who  had  sent  me 
there  to  study  the  white  man's  arts  so  that 
he  might  be  better  able  to  cope  with  him. 
When  I  went  into  the  town,  I  was  followed 
on  the  streets  by  gangs  of  little  white  savages, 
giving  imitation  war  whoops. 

My  first  recitation  at  Beloit  was  an  event 
in  my  life.  I  was  brought  before  a  remark 
able  looking  man  whose  name  was  Professor 
Pettibone.  He  had  a  long,  grave  face,  with 
53 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

long  whiskers  and  scarcely  any  hair  on  his 
head,  and  was  to  me  the  very  embodiment 
of  wisdom.  I  was  already  well  drilled  in  the 
elementary  studies,  except  that  I  was  very 
diffident  about  speaking  the  English  lan 
guage,  and  found  it  hard  to  recite  or  to 
demonstrate  mathematical  problems.  How 
ever,  I  made  every  effort  and  soon  learned  to 
speak  quite  fluently,  although  not  correctly ; 
but  that  fact  did  not  discourage  me. 

I  was  now  a  stranger  in  a  strange  country, 
and  deep  in  a  strange  life  from  which  I 
could  not  retreat.  I  was  like  a  deaf  man  with 
eyes  continually  on  the  alert  for  the  expres 
sion  of  faces,  and  to  find  them  in  general 
friendly  toward  me  was  somewhat  reassuring. 
In  spite  of  some  nerve-trying  moments,  I 
soon  recovered  my  balance  and  set  to  work. 
I  absorbed  knowledge  through  every  pore. 
The  more  I  got,  the  larger  my  capacity  grew, 
and  my  appetite  increased  in  proportion.  I 
discovered  that  my  anticipations  of  this  new 
life  were  nearly  all  wrong,  and  was  suddenly 
confronted  with  problems  entirely  foreign 
to  my  experience.  If  I  had  been  told  to 
swim  across  a  lake,  or  run  with  a  message 
54 


College  Life  in  the  West 

through  an  unknown  country,  I  should  have 
had  some  conception  of  the  task;  but  the 
idea  of  each  word  as  having  an  office  and  a 
place  and  a  specific  name,  and  standing  in 
relation  to  other  words  like  the  bricks  in 
a  wall,  was  almost  beyond  my  grasp.  As 
for  history  and  geography,  to  me  they  were 
legends  and  traditions,  and  I  soon  learned 
to  appreciate  the  pure  logic  of  mathematics. 
A  recent  letter  from  a  Beloit  schoolmate 
says,  "You  were  the  only  boy  who  could 
beat  me  in  algebra  !" 

At  Beloit  I  spent  three  years  of  student 
life.  While  in  some  kinds  of  knowledge  I 
was  the  infant  of  the  college,  in  athletics 
I  did  my  full  share.  To  keep  myself  at  my 
best  physically,  I  spent  no  less  than  three 
hours  daily  in  physical  exercise,  and  this  habit 
was  kept  up  throughout  my  college  days. 

I  found  among  the  students  many  who  were 
self-supporting,  either  the  sons  of  poor 
parents,  or  self-reliant  youth  who  preferred 
to  earn  money  for  at  least  a  part  of  their 
expenses.  I  soon  discovered  that  these 
young  men  were  usually  among  the  best 
students.  Since  I  had  no  means  of  my  own, 
55 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

and  the  United  States  Government  had  not 
then  formulated  the  policy  of  Indian  educa 
tion,  I  was  ready  for  any  kind  of  work,  and 
on  Saturdays  I  usually  sawed  wood  and  did 
other  chores  for  the  professors. 

During  the  first  summer  vacation  I  deter 
mined  to  hire  out  to  a  farmer.  Armed  with 
a  letter  of  introduction  from  President 
Chapin,  I  set  out  in  a  southerly  direction. 
As  I  walked,  I  recalled  the  troubles  of  that 
great  chief  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribe,  Black 
Hawk,  who  had  some  dispute  with  President 
Lincoln  about  that  very  region. 

At  the  first  farm  I  came  to,  I  approached 
the  front  door  with  some  misgivings.  A 
young  lady  asked  me  to  wait,  and  I  fancied  I 
read  in  her  clear  blue  eyes  the  thoughts  that 
passed  through  her  mind.  In  ten  minutes 
or  so,  the  farmer  came  in  from  the  field  and 
entered  his  home  by  another  door,  apparently 
taking  some  precautions  against  a  surprise 
before  coming  to  me  where  I  waited,  hungry 
and  tired,  on  the  doorstep. 

"Well,  young  man,  what  do  you  want?" 
quoth  he. 

I  said,  "I  am  a  student  of  Beloit  College, 
56 


College  Life  in  the  West 

but  the  college  is  closed  for  the  summer  and 
I  am  looking  for  work." 

"Oho!  you  can  not  work  the  New  Ulm 
game  on  me.  I  don't  think  you  can  repro 
duce  the  Fort  Dearborn  massacre  on  this 
farm.  By  the  way,  what  tribe  do  you  belong 
to?" 

"I  am  Sioux,"  I  replied. 

"That  settles  it.  Get  off  from  my  farm 
just  as  quick  as  you  can !  I  had  a  cousin 
killed  by  your  people  only  last  summer." 

I  kept  on  my  way  until  I  found  another 
farmer  to  whom  I  made  haste  to  present  my 
letter.  For  him  I  worked  all  summer,  and 
as  treaties  were  kept  on  both  sides,  there  was 
no  occasion  for  any  trouble. 

It  was  here  and  now  that  my  eyes  were 
opened  intelligently  to  the  greatness  of 
Christian  civilization,  the  ideal  civilization, 
as  it  unfolded  itself  before  my  eyes.  I  saw 
it  as  the  development  of  every  natural  re 
source;  the  broad  brotherhood  of  mankind; 
the  blending  of  all  languages  and  the  gather 
ing  of  all  races  under  one  religious  faith. 
There  must  be  no  more  warfare  within  our 
borders;  we  must  quit  the  forest  trail  for 
57 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

the  breaking-plow,  since  pastoral  life  was 
the  next  thing  for  the  Indian.  I  renounced 
finally  my  bow  and  arrows  for  the  spade  and 
the  pen ;  I  took  off  my  soft  moccasins  and 
put  on  the  heavy  and  clumsy  but  durable 
shoes.  Every  day  of  my  life  I  put  into  use 
every  English  word  that  I  knew,  and  for  the 
first  time  permitted  myself  to  think  and  act 
as  a  white  man. 

At  the  end  of  three  years,  other  Sioux 
Indians  had  been  sent  to  Beloit,  and  I  felt 
that  I  might  progress  faster  where  I  was  not 
surrounded  by  my  tribesmen.  Dr.  Riggs 
arranged  to  transfer  me  to  the  preparatory 
department  of  Knox  College,  at  Galesburg, 
111.,  of  which  he  was  himself  a  graduate. 
Here,  again,  I  was  thrown  into  close  contact 
with  the  rugged,  ambitious  sons  of  western 
farmers.  Among  my  stanch  friends  at  Knox 
were  S.  S.  McClure,  John  S.  Phillips  of  the 
American  Magazine,  Edgar  A.  Bancroft  of 
Chicago,  now  attorney  for  the  International 
Harvester  Company,  Judge  Merritt  Pinckney 
of  Chicago,  Representative  Rainey,  and 
other  men  who  have  become  well  known  and 
whose  friendship  is  still  retained. 
58 


College  Life  in  the  West 

As  Knox  is  a  co-educational  institution,  it 
was  here  that  I  mingled  for  the  first  time 
with  the  pale-face  maidens,  and  as  soon  as 
I  could  shake  off  my  Indian  shyness,  I 
found  them  very  winning  and  companion 
able.  It  was  through  social  intercourse 
with  the  American  college  girl  that  I  gained 
my  first  conception  of  the  home  life  and 
domestic  ideals  of  the  white  man.  I  had 
thoroughly  learned  the  Indian  club  and 
dumb  bell  exercises  at  Beloit,  and  here  at 
Knox  I  was  enabled  by  teaching  them  to  a 
class  of  young  ladies  to  meet  a  part  of  my 
expenses. 

Soon  I  began  to  lay  definite  plans  for  the 
future.  Happily,  I  had  missed  the  de 
moralizing  influences  of  reservation  life, 
and  had  been  mainly  thrown  with  the  best 
class  of  Christian  white  people.  With  all 
the  strength  of  a  clean  young  manhood,  I 
set  my  heart  upon  the  completion  of  a  liberal 
education. 

The  next  question  to  decide  was  what 
should  be  my  special  work  in  life.  It  ap 
peared  that  in  civilization  one  must  have  a 
definite  occupation  —  a  profession.  I  wished 
59 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

to  share  with  my  people  whatever  I  might 
attain,  and  I  looked  about  me  for  a  distinct 
field  of  usefulness  apart  from  the  ministry, 
which  was  the  first  to  be  adopted  by  the 
educated  Sioux. 

Gradually  my  choice  narrowed  down  to 
law  and  medicine,  for  both  of  which  I  had  a 
strong  taste ;  but  the  latter  seemed  to  me  to 
offer  a  better  opportunity  of  service  to  my 
race ;  therefore  I  determined  upon  the  study 
of  medicine  long  before  I  entered  upon 
college  studies.  "Hitch  your  wagon  to  a 
star,"  says  the  American  philosopher,  and 
this  was  my  star ! 


60 


COLLEGE  LIFE  IN  THE  EAST 


summer  vacation,  at  my  home  in 
Dakota,  Dr.  Riggs  told  me  the  story 
of  Dartmouth  College  in  New  Hampshire, 
and  how  it  was  originally  founded  as  a  school 
for  Indian  youth.  The  news  was  timely  and 
good  news  ;  and  yet  I  hesitated.  I  dreaded 
to  cut  myself  off  from  my  people,  and  in  my 
heart  I  knew  that  if  I  went,  I  should  not 
return  until  I  had  accomplished  my  purpose. 
It  was  a  critical  moment  in  my  life,  but  the 
decision  could  be  only  one  way.  I  taught 
the  little  day-school  where  my  first  lessons 
had  been  learned,  throughout  the  fall  term, 
and  in  January,  1882,  I  set  out  for  the  far 
East,  at  a  period  when  the  Government  was 
still  at  considerable  trouble  to  subdue  and 
settle  some  of  my  race  upon  reservations. 
Though  a  man  in  years,  I  had  very  little 
practical  knowledge  of  the  world,  and  in  my 
61 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

inexperience  I  was  still  susceptible  to  the 
adventurous  and  curious  side  of  things  rather 
than  to  their  profounder  meanings.  There 
fore,  while  somewhat  prepared,  I  was  not  yet 
conscious  of  the  seriousness  and  terrific  power 
of  modern  civilization. 

It  was  a  crisp  winter  morning  when  the 
train  pulled  into  Chicago.  I  had  in  mind  the 
Fort  Dearborn  incident,  and  it  seemed  to  me 
that  we  were  being  drawn  into  the  deep 
gulches  of  the  Bad  Lands  as  we  entered  the 
city.  I  realized  vividly  at  that  moment  that 
the  day  of  the  Indian  had  passed  forever. 

I  was  met  at  the  station  by  friends,  who 
took  me  to  walk  upon  some  of  the  main 
streets.  I  saw  a  perfect  stream  of  humanity 
rushing  madly  along,  and  noticed  with  some 
surprise  that  the  faces  of  the  people  were 
not  happy  at  all.  They  wore  an  intensely 
serious  look  that  to  me  was  appalling. 

I  was  cautioned  against  trusting  strangers, 
and  told  that  I  must  look  out  for  pickpockets. 
Evidently  there  were  some  disadvantages 
connected  with  this  mighty  civilization,  for 
we  Indians  seldom  found  it  necessary  to 
guard  our  possessions.  It  seemed  to  me  that 


College  Life  in  the  East 

the  most  dignified  men  on  the  streets  were 
the  policemen,  in  their  long  blue  coats  with 
brass  buttons.  They  were  such  a  remark 
able  set  of  men  physically  that  this  of  itself 
was  enough  to  catch  my  eye. 

Soon  I  was  again  upon  the  eastern  bound 
express,  and  we  had  not  gone  far  when  a 
middle-aged  man  who  had  thoroughly  in 
vestigated  my  appearance  both  through  and 
over  his  glasses,  came  to  my  seat  and  with 
out  apology  or  introduction  began  to  bom 
bard  me  with  countless  questions. 

"You  are  an  Indian?"  he  began. 

"Yes,"  I  murmured. 

"What  is  your  tribe?" 

"Sioux." 

"How  came  you  so  far  away  from  the 
tribe?  Are  you  a  member  of  Sitting  Bull's 
band?  Are  you  related  to  him?"  he  con 
tinued.  I  was  greatly  relieved  when  he 
released  me  from  his  intrusive  scrutiny. 
Among  our  people,  the  children  and  old 
women  sometimes  betray  curiosity  as  regards 
a  stranger,  but  no  grown  man  would  be 
guilty  of  such  bad  manners  as  I  have  often 
met  with  when  traveling. 
63 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

After  we  left  Albany,  I  found  myself  in  a 
country  the  like  of  which,  I  thought,  I 
would  have  given  much  to  hunt  over  before 
it  was  stripped  of  its  primeval  forests,  and 
while  deer  and  bears  roamed  over  it  un 
disturbed.  I  looked  with  delight  upon 
mountains  and  valleys,  and  even  the  little 
hamlets  perched  upon  the  shelves  of  the 
high  hills.  The  sight  of  these  rocky  farms 
and  little  villages  reminded  me  of  the  pres 
ence  of  an  earnest  and  persistent  people. 
Even  the  deserted  farmhouse,  the  ruined 
mill,  had  an  air  of  saying,  "I  have  done  my 
part  in  the  progress  of  civilization.  Now  I 
can  rest."  And  all  the  mountains  seemed 
to  say,  Amen. 

What  is  the  great  difference  between  these 
people  and  my  own?  I  asked  myself.  Is  it 
not  that  the  one  keeps  the  old  things  and 
continually  adds  to  them  new  improvements, 
while  the  other  is  too  well  contented  with 
the  old,  and  will  not  change  his  ways  nor 
seek  to  improve  them? 

When  I  reached  Boston,  I  was  struck  with 
the  old,  mossy,  granite  edifices,  and  the 
narrow,  crooked  streets.  Here,  too,  the 
64 


College  Life  in  the  East 

people  hurried  along  as  if  the  gray  wolf 
were  on  their  trail.  Their  ways  impressed 
me  as  cold,  but  I  forgot  that  when  I  had 
learned  to  know  some  of  them  better. 

I  went  on  to  Dartmouth  College,  away  up 
among  the  granite  hills.  The  country  around 
it  is  rugged  and  wild;  and  thinking  of  the 
time  when  red  men  lived  here  in  plenty  and 
freedom,  it  seemed  as  if  I  had  been  destined 
to  come  view  their  graves  and  bones.  No, 
I  said  to  myself,  I  have  come  to  continue 
that  which  in  their  last  struggle  they  pro 
posed  to  take  up,  in  order  to  save  themselves 
from  extinction ;  but  alas !  it  was  too  late. 
Had  our  New  England  tribes  but  followed 
the  example  of  that  great  Indian,  Samson 
Occum,  and  kept  up  with  the  development 
of  Dartmouth  College,  they  would  have 
brought  forth  leaders  and  men  of  culture. 
This  was  my  ambition  —  that  the  Sioux  \ 
should  accept  civilization  before  it  was  too  ']/ 
late !  I  wished  that  our  young  men  might 
at  once  take  up  the  white  man's  way,  and 
prepare  themselves  to  hold  office  and  wield 
influence  in  their  native  states.  Although 
this  hope  has  not  been  fully  realized,  I  have 
65 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  not  a  few 
Indians  now  hold  positions  of  trust  and  exer 
cise  some  political  power. 

At  Dartmouth  College  I  found  the  build 
ings  much  older  and  more  imposing  than  any 
I  had  seen  before.  There  was  a  true 
scholastic  air  about  them;  in  fact,  the 
whole  village  impressed  me  as  touched  with 
the  spirit  of  learning  and  refinement.  My 
understanding  of  English  was  now  so  much 
enlarged  as  to  enable  me  to  grasp  current 
events,  as  well  as  the  principles  of  civiliza 
tion,  in  a  more  intelligent  manner. 

At  Kimball  Union  Academy,  the  little 
ancient  institution  at  which  I  completed 
my  preparation  for  college  by  direction  of 
President  Bartlett  of  Dartmouth,  I  absorbed 
much  knowledge  of  the  New  Englander  and 
his  peculiarities.  I  found  Yankees  of  the 
uneducated,  class  very  Indian-like  in  their 
views  and  habits;  a  people  of  strong  char 
acter,  plain-spoken,  and  opinionated.  How 
ever,  I  observed  that  the  students  of  the 
academy  and  their  parents  were  very  frugal 
and  saving.  Nothing  could  have  been  more 
instructive  to  me,  as  we  Indians  are  inclined 
66 


College  Life  in  the  East 

to  be  improvident.  I  had  been  accustomed 
to  broad,  fertile  prairies,  and  liberal  ways. 
Here  they  seemed  to  count  their  barrels  of 
potatoes  and  apples  before  they  were  grown. 
Every  little  brooklet  was  forced  to  do  a  river's 
work  in  their  mills  and  factories. 

I  was  graduated  here  and  went  to  old 
Dartmouth  in  the  fall  of  1883  to  enter  the 
Freshman  class.  Although  I  had  associated 
with  college  students  for  several  years,  yet 
I  must  confess  that  western  college  life  is 
quiet  compared  with  that  of  the  tumultuous 
East.  It  was  here  that  I  had  most  of  my 
savage  gentleness  and  native  refinement 
knocked  out  of  me.  I  do  not  complain, 
for  I  know  that  I  gained  more  than  their 
equivalent. 

On  the  evening  of  our  first  class  meeting, 
lo !  I  was  appointed  football  captain  for  my 
class.  My  supporters  orated  quite  effectively 
on  my  qualifications  as  a  frontier  warrior, 
and  some  went  so  far  as  to  predict  that  I 
would,  when  warmed  up,  scare  all  the  Sophs 
off  the  premises !  These  representations 
seemed  to  be  confirmed  when,  that  same 
evening  after  supper,  the  two  classes  met  in 
67 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

a  first  "rush,"  and  as  I  was  not  acquainted 
with  the  men,  I  held  up  the  professor  of 
philosophy,  mistaking  him  for  one  of  the 
sophomores.  Reporters  for  the  Boston 
dailies  made  the  most  of  their  opportunity 
to  enlarge  upon  this  incident. 

I  was  a  sort  of  prodigal  son  of  old  Dart 
mouth,  and  nothing  could  have  exceeded 
the  heartiness  of  my  welcome.  The  New 
England  Indians,  for  whom  it  was  founded, 
had  departed  well-nigh  a  century  earlier, 
and  now  a  warlike  Sioux,  like  a  wild  fox,  had 
found  his  way  into  this  splendid  seat  of 
learning !  Though  poor,  I  was  really  better 
off  than  many  of  the  students,  since  the  old 
college  took  care  of  me  under  its  ancient 
charter.  I  was  treated  with  the  greatest 
kindness  by  the  president  and  faculty,  and 
often  encouraged  to  ask  questions  and  express 
my  own  ideas.  My  uncle's  observations  in 
natural  history,  for  which  he  had  a  positive 
genius,  the  Indian  standpoint  in  sociology 
and  political  economy,  these  were  the  sub 
ject  of  some  protracted  discussions  in  the 
class  room.  This  became  so  well  under 
stood,  that  some  of  my  classmates  who  had 
68 


College  Life  in  the  East 

failed  to  prepare  their  recitations  would 
induce  me  to  take  up  the  time  by  advancing 
a  native  theory  or  first  hand  observation. 

For  the  first  time,  I  became  really 
interested  in  literature  and  history.  Here 
it  was  that  civilization  began  to  loom  up  be 
fore  me  colossal  in  its  greatness,  when  the 
fact  dawned  upon  me  that  nations  and 
tongues,  as  well  as  individuals,  have  lived 
and  died.  There  were  two  men  of  the  past 
who  were  much  in  my  thoughts :  my 
countryman  Occum,  who  matriculated  there 
a  century  before  me,  and  the  great  Daniel 
Webster  (said  to  have  a  strain  of  Indian 
blood),  who  came  to  Dartmouth  as  impecu 
nious  as  I  was.  It  was  under  the  Old  Pine 
Tree  that  the  Indians  were  supposed  to  have 
met  for  the  last  time  to  smoke  the  pipe  of 
peace,  and  under  its  shadow  every  graduating 
class  of  my  day  smoked  a  parting  pipe. 

I  was  anxious  to  help  myself  as  much  as 
possible  and  gain  practical  experience  at 
the  same  time,  by  working  during  the  long 
summer  vacations.  One  summer  I  worked 
in  a  hotel,  at  another  time  I  canvassed  for  a 
book,  I  think  it  was  the  "Knights  of  Labor," 
69 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

published  in  Boston.  Such  success  as  I 
attained  was  due  less  to  any  business  sagac 
ity  than  to  a  certain  curiosity  I  seemed  to 
excite,  and  which  often  resulted  in  the  pur 
chase  of  the  book,  whether  the  subscriber 
really  cared  for  it  or  not.  Another  summer, 
an  old  school  friend,  an  Armenian,  con 
ceived  the  scheme  of  dressing  me  in  native 
costume  and  sending  me  out  to  sell  his  goods. 
When  I  wore  a  jacket  and  fez,  and  was  well 
scented  with  attar  of  rose,  no  dog  would 
permit  me  on  his  master's  premises  if  he 
could  help  it ;  nevertheless  I  did  very  well. 
For  business  purposes  I  was  a  Turk,  but  I 
never  answered  any  direct  questions  on  the 
subject  of  my  nativity. 

Throughout  my  student  days  in  the  West, 
I  had  learned  to  reverence  New  England, 
and  especially  its  metropolis,  as  the  home  of 
culture  and  art,  of  morality  and  Christianity. 
At  that  period  that  sort  of  thing  got  a  lodging 
place  in  my  savage  mind  more  readily  than 
the  idea  of  wealth  or  material  power.  Some 
how  I  had  supposed  that  Boston  must  be 
the  home  of  the  nation's  elect  and  not  far 
from  the  milleniuni.  I  was  very  happy 
70 


College  Life  in  the  East 

when,  after  my  graduation  with  the  class  of 
1887,  it  was  made  possible  for  me  to  study 
medicine  at  Boston  University.  The  friends 
who  generously  assisted  me  to  realize  my 
great  ambition  were  of  the  type  I  had 
dreamed  of,  and  my  home  influences  in 
their  family  all  that  I  could  have  wished  for. 
A  high  ideal  of  duty  was  placed  before  me, 
and  I  was  doubly  armed  in  my  original  pur 
pose  to  make  my  education  of  service  to  my 
race.  I  continued  to  study  the  Christ 
philosophy  and  loved  it  for  its  essential 
truths,  though  doctrines  and  dogmas  often 
puzzled  and  repelled  me.  I  attended  the 
Shawmut  Congregational  church,  of  which 
the  Rev.  William  Eliot  Griffis  was  then 
pastor,  and  I  am  happy  to  say  he  became  my 
life-long  friend. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank  Wood,  who  were  a 
father  and  mother  to  me  at  this  period  of 
my  life,  were  very  considerate  of  my  health 
and  gave  me  opportunity  to  enter  into  many 
outdoor  sports,  such  as  tennis  and  canoeing, 
beside  regular  gymnasium  work.  The  unique 
features  of  old  Boston,  the  park  system  with 
the  public  flower  gardens  and  the  Arboretum, 
71 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

the  reservoirs,  and  above  all,  the  harbor  with 
its  vast  assemblage  of  vessels,  each  of  these 
was  a  school  in  itself.  I  did  much  general 
reading,  and  did  not  neglect  my  social  oppor 
tunities.  At  Dartmouth  I  had  met  the 
English  man  of  letters,  Matthew  Arnold, 
and  he  was  kind  enough  to  talk  with  me  for 
some  time.  I  have  also  talked  with  Emerson, 
Longfellow,  Francis  Parkman,  and  many 
other  men  of  note.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood 
were  trustees  of  Wellesley  College  and  I  was 
so  fortunate  as  to  be  an  occasional  visitor 
there,  and  to  make  the  acquaintance  of 
Miss  Freeman,  its  first  president.  I  believe 
the  first  lecture  I  ever  delivered  in  public 
was  before  the  Wellesley  girls.  I  little 
dreamed  that  a  daughter  of  mine  would  ever 
be  among  them !  At  another  time  I  was 
asked  by  Mrs.  Hemenway  to  give  one  of  a 
course  of  eight  historical  lectures  to  the 
high  school  boys  and  girls.  My  subject 
was  the  French  and  Indian  wars,  especially 
the  conspiracy  of  Pontiac.  I  had  studied 
this  period  minutely  and  spoke  for  an  hour 
and  a  quarter  without  any  manuscript. 
At  the  seaside  hotels,  I  met  society  people 
72 


MRS.  FRANK  WOOD,  OF  BOSTON.     EASTMAN'S  "  WHITE  MOTHER.' 


College  Life  in  the  East 

of  an  entirely  different  sort  to  those  I  had 
hitherto  taken  as  American  types.  I  was, 
I  admit,  particularly  struck  with  the  audac 
ity  and  forwardness  of  the  women.  Among 
our  people  the  man  always  leads.  I  was 
astonished  to  learn  that  some  women  whom 
I  had  observed  to  accept  the  most  marked 
attentions  from  the  men  were  married 
ladies.  Perhaps  my  earlier  training  had 
been  too  Puritanical,  or  my  aesthetic  sense 
was  not  then  fully  developed,  for  I  was 
surprised  when  I  entered  the  ballroom  to  see 
the  pretty  women  clad  so  scantily. 

One  summer  at  Nantasket  beach,  I  recall 
that  I  had  somehow  been  noted  by  an  enter 
prising  representative  of  a  Boston  daily, 
who  printed  a  column  or  so  on  my  doings, 
which  were  innocent  enough.  He  good- 
naturedly  remarked  that  "the  hero  of  the 
Boston  society  girls  just  now  is  a  Sioux 
brave",  etc.  and  described  all  the  little 
gifts  of  sofa  cushions,  pictures,  and  so  on, 
that  I  had  ever  received  from  my  girl  friends, 
as  well  as  the  medals  won  in  college.  I  never 
knew  who  had  let  him  into  my  room ! 

During  the  three  years  that  I  studied  in 
73 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

Boston,  I  went  every  summer  to  Mr.  Moody's 
famous  summer  school  at  Northfield,  and 
was  much  interested  in  his  strong  personality. 
One  morning  as  we  walked  together,  we  came 
to  a  stone  at  the  roadside.  "Eastman," 
said  he,  "this  stone  is  a  reminder  of  the 
cruelty  of  your  countrymen  two  centuries 
ago.  Here  they  murdered  an  innocent  Chris 
tian." 

"Mr.  Moody,"  I  replied,  "it  might  have 
been  better  if  they  had  killed  them  all. 
Then  you  would  not  have  had  to  work  so 
hard  to  save  the  souls  of  their  descendants." 

At  the  date  of  my  graduation,  in  1890, 
the  Government  had  fully  committed  itself 
to  the  new  and  permanent  plan  of  educating 
the  young  Indians  preparatory  to  admitting 
them  to  citizenship.  Various  philanthropic 
societies  had  been  formed  expressly  to  help 
toward  this  end.  These  facts  gave  weight 
and  momentum  to  my  desire  to  use  all  that 
I  had  learned  for  their  benefit.  I  soon 
received  my  appointment  to  the  position  of 
Government  physician  at  Pine  Ridge  agency 
in  South  Dakota,  to  report  October  first. 
Meantime  I  stayed  in  Boston  and  kept 
74 


College  Life  in  the  East 

books  for  Mr.  Wood  while  his  bookkeeper 
took  a  vacation,  and  later  secured  an  exten 
sion  of  time  in  order  to  attend  the  Lake 
Mohonk  Indian  conference.  Here  I  met 
Mr.  Herbert  Welsh  and  Professor  Painter  of 
the  Indian  Rights  association,  Bishop  Hare, 
Bishop  Whipple,  and  many  others,  and 
listened  with  great  interest  to  their  dis 
cussions.  I  became  convinced  that  the 
Indians  had  some  real  friends  and  this  gave 
me  much  encouragement. 


75 


VI 
A  DOCTOR  AMONG  THE  INDIANS 


Pine  Ridge  Indian  agency  was  a 
bleak  and  desolate  looking  place  in 
those  days,  more  especially  in  a  November 
dust  storm  such  as  that  in  which  I  arrived 
from  Boston  to  take  charge  of  the  medical 
work  of  the  reservation.  In  1890  a  "white 
doctor"  who  was  also  an  Indian  was  some 
thing  of  a  novelty,  and  I  was  afterward  in 
formed  that  there  were  many  and  diverse 
speculations  abroad  as  to  my  success  or 
failure  in  this  new  role,  but  at  the  time  I 
was  unconscious  of  an  audience.  I  was 
thirty-two  years  of  age,  but  appeared  much 
younger,  athletic  and  vigorous,  and  alive 
with  energy  and  enthusiasm. 

After   reporting   to   the   Indian    agent,    I 

was  shown  to  my  quarters,  which  consisted 

of  a  bedroom,  sitting  room,  office,  and  dispen 

sary,  all  in  one  continuous  barrack  with  the 

76 


I 


W 


A  Doctor  among  the  Indians 

police  quarters  and  the  agent's  offices.  This 
barrack  was  a  flimsy  one-story  affair  built 
of  warped  cottonwood  lumber,  and  the  rude 
prairie  winds  whistled  musically  through 
the  cracks.  There  was  no  carpet,  no  furni 
ture  save  a  plain  desk  and  a  couple  of  hard 
wooden  chairs,  and  everything  was  coated 
with  a  quarter  of  an  inch  or  so  of  fine  Dakota 
dust.  This  did  not  disconcert  me,  however, 
as  I  myself  was  originally  Dakota  dust ! 
An  old-fashioned  box  stove  was  the  only 
cheerful  thing  on  the  premises,  and  the  first 
duty  I  performed  was  to  myself.  I  built  a 
roaring  fire  in  the  stove,  and  sat  down  for  a 
few  minutes  to  take  a  sort  of  inventory  of 
the  situation  and  my  professional  prospects. 

I  had  not  yet  thought  seriously  of  making 
a  life  contract  with  any  young  woman,  and 
accordingly  my  place  was  at  the  agency  mess 
where  the  unmarried  employees  took  their 
meals.  I  recall  that  the  cook  at  that  time 
was  a  German,  and  the  insistent  sauerkraut 
and  other  German  dishes  were  new  to  me 
and  not  especially  appetizing. 

After  supper,  as  I  sat  alone  in  my  dismal 
quarters  fighting  the  first  pangs  of  home- 
77 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

sickness,  an  Indian  softly  opened  the  door 
and  stepped  in  without  knocking,  in  char 
acteristic  Indian  fashion.  My  first  caller 
was  old  Blue  Horse,  chief  emeritus  of  the 
Loafer  band,  of  which  American  Horse  was 
the  active  chief.  After  greeting  me  in 
Sioux,  he  promptly  produced  his  credentials, 
which  consisted  of  well-worn  papers  that 
had  been  given  him  by  various  high  military 
officers,  from  General  Harney  to  General 
Crook,  and  were  dated  1854  to  1877.  Blue 
Horse  had  been,  as  he  claimed,  a  friend  to 
the  white  man,  for  he  was  one  of  the  first 
Sioux  army  scouts,  and  also  one  of  the  first 
to  cross  the  ocean  with  Buffalo  Bill.  The 
old  man  wanted  nothing  so  much  as  an  au 
dience,  and  the  tale  of  his  exploits  served  to 
pass  the  evening.  Some  one  had  brought 
in  a  cot  and  an  armful  of  blankets,  and  I 
was  soon  asleep. 

Next  morning  I  hunted  up  an  Indian 
woman  to  assist  in  a  general  cleaning  and 
overhauling  of  the  premises.  My  first 
official  act  was  to  close  up  the  "hole  in  the 
wall",  like  a  ticket  seller's  window,  through 
which  my  predecessors  had  been  wont  to 
78 


A  Doctor  among  the  Indians 

deal  out  pills  and  potions  to  a  crowd  of 
patients  standing  in  line,  and  put  a  sign 
outside  the  door  telling  them  to  come  in. 

It  so  happened  that  this  was  the  day  of 
the  "Big  Issue,"  on  which  thousands  of 
Indians  scattered  over  a  reservation  a  hun 
dred  miles  long  by  fifty  wide,  came  to  the 
agency  for  a  weekly  or  fortnightly  supply 
of  rations,  and  it  was  a  veritable  "Wild 
West"  array  that  greeted  my  astonished 
eyes.  The  streets  and  stores  were  alive 
with  a  motley  crowd  in  picturesque  garb, 
for  all  wore  their  best  on  these  occasions. 
Every  road  leading  to  the  agency  was  filled 
with  white-topped  lumber  wagons,  with  here 
and  there  a  more  primitive  travois,  and 
young  men  and  women  on  ponies'  backs 
were  gaily  curvetting  over  the  hills.  The 
Sioux  belle  of  that  period  was  arrayed  in 
grass-green  or  bright  purple  calico,  loaded 
down  with  beads  and  bangles,  and  sat 
astride  a  spotted  pony,  holding  over  her 
glossy  uncovered  braids  and  vermilion-tinted 
cheeks  a  gaily  colored  silk  parasol. 

Toward  noon,  the  whole  population  moved 
out  two  or  three  miles  to  a  large  corral  in 
79 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

the  midst  of  a  broad  prairie,  where  a  herd 
of  beef  cattle  was  held  in  readiness  by  the 
agency  cowboys.  An  Indian  with  stentorian 
voice,  mounted  on  a  post,  announced  the 
names  of  the  group  whose  steer  was  to  be 
turned  loose.  Next  moment  the  flying  ani 
mal  was  pursued  by  two  or  three  swift 
riders  with  rifles  across  their  saddles.  As 
the  cattle  were  turned  out  in  quick  succes 
sion,  we  soon  had  a  good  imitation  of  the 
old  time  buffalo  hunt.  The  galloping,  long- 
horned  steers  were  chased  madly  in  every 
direction,  amid  yells  and  whoops,  the  firing 
of  guns  and  clouds  of  yellow  dust,  with 
here  and  there  a  puff  of  smoke  and  a  dull 
report  as  one  stumbled  and  fell. 

The  excitement  was  soon  over,  and  men 
of  each  group  were  busy  skinning  the 
animals,  dressing  the  meat  and  dividing  it 
among  the  families  interested.  Meanwhile 
the  older  women,  sack  in  hand,  approached 
the  commissary,  where  they  received  their 
regular  dole  of  flour,  bacon,  coffee,  and  sugar. 
Fires  were  soon  blazing  merrily  in  the  va 
rious  temporary  camps  scattered  over  the 
prairie  and  in  the  creek  bottoms,  and  after 
80 


CHAPEL  OF  THE  HOLY  CROSS,  PINE  RIDGE  AGENCY,  USED  AS 

HOSPITAL  FOR  WOUNDED  INDIANS  DURING  THE 

"  GHOST  DANCE  WAR." 


PINE  RIDGE  AGENCY,  1890. 


A  Doctor  among  the  Indians 

dinner,  horse  races  and  dancing  were  features 
of  the  day.  Many  white  sight-seers  from 
adjoining  towns  were  usually  on  hand. 
Before  night,  most  of  the  people  had  set  off 
in  a  cloud  of  dust  for  their  distant  homes. 
It  is  no  wonder  that  I  was  kept  on  my  feet 
giving  out  medicine  throughout  that  day, 
as  if  from  a  lemonade  stand  at  a  fair.  It  was 
evident  that  many  were  merely  seeking  an 
excuse  to  have  a  look  at  the  "Indian  white 
doctor."  Most  of  them  diagnosed  their 
own  cases  and  called  for  some  particular 
drug  or  ointment ;  a  mixture  of  cod  liver 
oil  and  alcohol  was  a  favorite.  It  surprised 
them  that  I  insisted  upon  examining  each 
patient  and  questioning  him  in  plain  Sioux 
-  no  interpreter  needed  !  I  made  a  record 
of  the  interesting  cases  and  took  note  of  the 
place  where  they  were  encamped,  planning 
to  visit  as  many  as  possible  in  their  teepees 
before  they  took  again  to  the  road. 

The  children  of  the  large  Government 
boarding  school  were  allowed  to  visit  their 
parents  on  issue  day,  and  when  the  parting 
moment  came,  there  were  some  pathetic 
scenes.  It  was  one  of  my  routine  duties 
81 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

to  give  written  excuses  from  school  when 
necessary  on  the  ground  of  illness,  and  these 
excuses  were  in  much  demand  from  lonely 
mothers  and  homesick  little  ones.  As  a 
last  resort,  the  mother  herself  would  some 
times  plead  illness  and  the  need  of  her  boy 
or  girl  for  a  few  days  at  home.  I  was  of 
course  wholly  in  sympathy  with  the  policy 
of  education  for  the  Indian  children,  yet  by 
no  means  hardened  to  the  exhibition  of 
natural  feeling.  I  would  argue  the  matter 
with  the  parents  as  tactfully  as  I  could; 
but  if  nothing  else  could  win  the  coveted 
paper,  the  grandmother  was  apt  to  be 
pressed  into  the  service,  and  her  verbal 
ammunition  seemed  inexhaustible. 

Captain  Sword,  the  dignified  and  intelli 
gent  head  of  the  Indian  police  force,  was 
very  friendly,  and  soon  found  time  to  give 
me  a  great  deal  of  information  about  the 
place  and  the  people.  He  said  finally: 

"Kola  (my  friend),  the  people  are  very 
glad  that  you  have  come.  You  have  begun 
well ;  we  Indians  are  all  your  friends.  But 
I  fear  that  we  are  going  to  have  trouble.  I 
must  tell  you  that  a  new  religion  has  been 
82 


A  Doctor  among  the  Indians 

proclaimed  by  some  Indians  in  the  Rocky 
Mountain  region,  and  some  time  ago,  Sitting 
Bull  sent  several  of  his  men  to  investigate. 
We  hear  that  they  have  come  back,  saying 
that  they  saw  the  prophet,  or  Messiah,  who 
told  them  that  he  is  God's  Son  whom  He  has 
sent  into  the  world  a  second  time.  He  told 
them  that  He  had  waited  nearly  two  thousand 
years  for  the  white  men  to  carry  out  His 
teachings,  but  instead  they  had  destroyed 
helpless  small  nations  to  satisfy  their  own 
selfish  greed.  Therefore  He  had  come  again, 
this  time  as  a  Savior  to  the  red  people.  If 
they  would  follow  His  instructions  exactly, 
in  a  little  while  He  would  cause  the  earth 
to  shake  and  destroy  all  the  cities  of  the  white 
man,  when  famine  and  pestilence  would 
come  to  finish  the  work.  The  Indians  must 
live  entirely  by  themselves  in  their  teepees  so 
that  the  earthquake  would  not  harm  them. 
They  must  fast  and  pray  and  keep  up  a  holy 
or  spirit  dance  that  He  taught  them.  He  also 
ordered  them  to  give  up  the  white  man's 
clothing  and  make  shirts  and  dresses  in  the 
old  style. 

"My  friend,"   Sword  went  on,  "our  res- 
83 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

ervation  has  been  free  from  this  new  teach 
ing  until  the  last  few  weeks.  Quite  lately 
this  ghost  dance  was  introduced  by  Slow 
Bull  and  Kicking  Bear  from  Rosebud"  —a 
neighboring  agency.  "It  has  been  rapidly 
gaining  converts  in  many  of  the  camps.  This 
is  what  the  council  to-day  was  about.  The 
agent  says  that  the  Great  Father  at  Wash 
ington  wishes  it  stopped.  I  fear  the  people 
will  not  stop.  I  fear  trouble,  kola." 

I  listened  in  silence,  for  I  was  taken  entirely 
by  surprise.  Shortly  afterward,  the  agent 
himself,  a  new  man  and  a  political  appointee, 
approached  me  on  the  same  matter.  "I 
tell  you,  doctor,"  he  began,  after  an  exchange 
of  greetings,  "I  am  mighty  glad  you  came 
here  at  just  this  time.  We  have  a  most 
difficult  situation  to  handle,  but  those  men 
down  in  Washington  don't  seem  to  realize 
the  facts.  If  I  had  my  way,  I  would  have 
had  troops  here  before  this,"  he  declared 
with  emphasis.  "This  Ghost  dance  craze 
is  the  worst  thing  that  has  ever  taken  hold 
of  the  Indian  race.  It  is  going  like  wild 
fire  among  the  tribes,  and  right  here  and  now 
the  people  are  beginning  to  defy  my  author- 
84 


A  Doctor  among  the  Indians 

ity,  and  my  Indian  police  seem  to  be  power 
less.  I  expect  every  employee  on  the  agency 
to  do  his  or  her  best  to  avert  an  outbreak." 
I  assured  him  that  he  might  count  on  me. 
"I  shall  talk  to  you  more  fully  on  the  subject 
as  soon  as  you  are  settled,"  he  concluded. 

I  began  to  think  the  situation  must  be 
serious,  and  decided  to  consult  some  of  the 
educated  and  Christian  Indians.  At  this 
juncture  a  policeman  appeared  with  a  note, 
and  handed  me  my  orders,  as  I  supposed. 
But  when  I  opened  it,  I  read  a  gracefully 
worded  welcome  and  invitation  to  a  tea 
party  at  the  rectory,  "to  celebrate,"  the 
writer  said,  "my  birthday,  and  your  coming 
to  Pine  Ridge."  I  was  caught  up  by  the 
wind  of  destiny,  but  at  the  moment  my  only 
thought  was  of  pleasure  in  the  prospect  of 
soon  meeting  the  Reverend  Charles  Smith 
Cook,  the  Episcopal  missionary.  He  was  a 
Yankton  Sioux,  a  graduate  of  Trinity  College 
and  Seabury  Divinity  School,  and  I  felt  sure 
that  I  should  find  in  him  a  congenial  friend. 

I  looked  forward  to  the  evening  with  a 
peculiar  interest.  Mr.  Cook  was  delightful, 
and  so  was  his  gracious  young  wife,  who  had 
85 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

been  a  New  York  girl.  She  had  a  sweet 
voice  and  was  a  trained  musician.  They  had 
a  little  boy  three  or  four  years  old.  Then  I 
met  several  young  ladies,  teachers  in  the 
boarding  school,  and  a  young  man  or  two, 
and  finally  Miss  Elaine  Goodale,  who  was 
not  entirely  a  stranger,  as  I  had  read  her 
"Apple  Blossoms"  in  Boston,  and  some  of 
her  later  articles  on  Indian  education  in  the 
Independent  and  elsewhere.  Miss  Goodale 
was  supervisor  of  Indian  schools  in  the 
Dakotas  and  Nebraska,  and  she  was  then 
at  Pine  Ridge  on  a  tour  of  inspection.  She 
was  young  for  such  a  responsible  position, 
but  appeared  equal  to  it  in  mentality  and 
experience.  I  thought  her  very  dignified 
and  reserved,  but  this  first  evening's  ac 
quaintance  showed  me  that  she  was 
thoroughly  in  earnest  and  absolutely  sin 
cere  in  her  work  for  the  Indians.  I  might 
as  well  admit  that  her  personality  impressed 
me  deeply.  I  had  laid  my  plans  carefully, 
and  purposed  to  serve  my  race  for  a  few 
years  in  my  profession,  after  which  I  would 
go  to  some  city  to  practice,  and  I  had  de 
cided  that  it  would  be  wise  not  to  think  of 
86 


A  Doctor  among  the  Indians 

marriage  for  the  present.  I  had  not  given 
due  weight  to  the  possibility  of  love. 

Events  now  crowded  fast  upon  one  another. 
It  would  seem  enough  that  I  had  at  last 
realized  the  dream  of  my  life  —  to  be  of 
some  service  to  my  people  —  an  ambition 
implanted  by  my  earlier  Indian  teachers 
and  fostered  by  my  missionary  training. 
I  was  really  happy  in  devoting  myself  mind 
and  body  to  my  hundreds  of  patients  who 
left  me  but  few  leisure  moments.  I  soon 
found  it  absolutely  necessary  to  have  some 
help  in  the  dispensary,  and  I  enlisted  the 
aid  of  George  Graham,  a  Scotch  half-breed, 
and  a  simple,  friendly  fellow.  I  soon  taught 
him  to  put  up  the  common  salves  and  oint 
ments,  the  cough  syrups  and  other  mixtures 
which  were  in  most  frequent  demand.  To 
gether  we  scoured  the  shelves  from  top  to 
bottom  and  prepared  as  best  we  could  for 
the  issue  day  crowds. 

After  the  second  "Big  Issue",  I  had  an 
other  call  from  Captain  Sword.  He  began, 
I  believe,  by  complimenting  me  upon  a  very 
busy  day.  "Your  reputation,"  he  declared, 
"has  already  travelled  the  length  and  breadth 
87 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

of  the  reservation.  You  treat  everybody 
alike,  and  your  directions  are  understood  by 
the  people.  No  Government  doctor  has 
ever  gone  freely  among  them  before.  It  is  a 
new  order  of  things.  But  I  fear  you  have 
come  at  a  bad  time,"  he  added  seriously. 
"The  Ghost  dancers  have  not  heeded  the 
agent's  advice  and  warning.  They  pay  no 
attention  to  us  policemen.  The  craze  is 
spreading  like  a  prairie  fire,  and  the  chiefs 
who  are  encouraging  it  do  not  even  come  to 
the  agency.  They  send  after  their  rations 
and  remain  at  home.  It  looks  bad." 

"Do  they  really  mean  mischief?"  I  asked 
incredulously,  for  Mr.  Cook  and  I  had  dis 
cussed  the  matter  and  agreed  in  thinking 
that  if  the  attempt  was  not  made  to  stop  it 
by  force,  the  craze  would  die  out  of  itself 
before  long. 

"They  say  not,  and  that  all  they  ask  is 
to  be  let  alone.  They  say  the  white  man 
is  not  disturbed  when  he  goes  to  church," 
Sword  replied.  "I  must  tell  you,  however, 
that  the  agent  has  just  ordered  the  police 
to  call  in  all  Government  employees  with 
their  families  to  the  agency.  This  means 
88 


A  Doctor  among  the  Indians 

that  something  is  going  to  happen.  I  have 
heard  that  he  will  send  for  soldiers  to  come 
here  to  stop  the  Ghost  dance.  If  so,  there 
will  be  trouble." 

As  I  was  still  too  new  to  the  situation  to 
grasp  it  fully,  I  concluded  that  in  any  case  the 
only  thing  for  me  to  do  was  to  apply  myself 
diligently  to  my  special  work,  and  await  the 
issue.  I  had  arranged  to  give  a  course  of 
simple  talks  on  physiology  and  hygiene  at 
the  Government  boarding  school,  and  on  the 
evening  of  my  first  talk,  I  came  back  to  my 
quarters  rather  late,  for  I  had  been  invited 
to  join  the  teachers  afterward  in  their  read 
ing  circle,  and  had  then  seen  Miss  Goodale 
safe  to  the  rectory. 

I  had  given  up  two  of  my  rooms  to  Colonel 
Lee,  the  census  taker,  and  his  wife,  who 
could  find  no  other  shelter  in  the  crowded 
state  of  the  agency,  and  found  them  await 
ing  me. 

"Well,  doc,"  said  the  jolly  Colonel,  "I  sup 
pose  you  have  fixed  your  eye  on  the  prettiest 
of  the  school  teachers  by  this  time !" 

"I  should  be  a  callous  man  if  I  hadn't," 
I  laughed. 

89 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

"That's  the  right  spirit.  And  now,  here's 
a  big  bundle  the  stage  left  for  you.  Open 
it  up,  doc ;  it  may  be  some  pies  or  Boston 
baked  beans  from  your  folks !" 

The  parcel  contained  a  riding  suit  of 
corduroy  lined  with  leather,  and  reversible, 
also  a  pair  of  laced  riding-boots  reaching  to 
the  thigh,  a  present  from  an  old  friend  in 
Boston.  Nothing  could  have  been  more 
timely,  for  I  now  spent  a  good  part  of  my 
days  and  not  a  few  nights  in  the  saddle.  I 
was  called  to  the  most  distant  parts  of  the 
reservation,  and  had  bought  a  fine  white 
horse,  part  Arabian,  which  I  named  "Jack 
Frost."  When  I  called  for  George  to  saddle 
him  the  next  morning,  I  was  surprised  to 
have  him  hesitate. 

"Don't  you  think,  doctor,  you  had  better 
keep  pretty  close  to  the  agency  until  things 
are  a  little  more  settled?"  he  asked. 

"Why,  George,  what  do  you  mean?" 

"Well,  this  news  that  the  troops  have 
been  sent  for,  whether  it  is  true  or  not,  is 
making  a  good  deal  of  talk.  No  telling  what 
some  fool  Indian  may  take  it  into  his  head 
to  do  next.  Some  of  the  white  employees 
90 


A  Doctor  among  the  Indians 

are  not  stopping  at  the  agency,  they  are 
going  right  on  to  the  railroad.  I  heard 
one  man  say  there  is  going  to  be  an 
Injin  outbreak  and  he  intends  to  get  out 
while  he  can." 


91 


VII 

THE   GHOST  DANCE  WAR 

A  RELIGIOUS  craze  such  as  that  of 
•**>  1890-91  was  a  thing  foreign  to  the 
Indian  philosophy.  I  recalled  that  a  hun 
dred  years  before,  on  the  overthrow  of 
the  Algonquin  nations,  a  somewhat  similar 
faith  was  evolved  by  the  astute  Delaware 
prophet,  brother  to  Tecumseh.  It  meant 
that  the  last  hope  of  race  entity  had  de 
parted,  and  my  people  were  groping  blindly 
after  spiritual  relief  in  their  bewilderment 
and  misery.  I  believe  that  the  first  prophets 
of  the  "Red  Christ"  were  innocent  enough 
and  that  the  people  generally  were  sincere, 
but  there  were  doubtless  some  who  went 
into  it  for  self-advertisement,  and  who  in 
troduced  new  and  fantastic  features  to  at 
tract  the  crowd. 

The    ghost    dancers    had    gradually    con 
centrated  on  the  Medicine  Root  creek  and 
92 


The  Ghost  Dance  War 

the  edge  of  the  "Bad  Lands,"  and  they  were 
still  further  isolated  by  a  new  order  from  the 
agent,  calling  in  all  those  who  had  not  ad 
hered  to  the  new  religion.  Several  thousand 
of  these  "friendlies"  were  soon  encamped 
on  the  White  Clay  creek,  close  by  the  agency. 
It  was  near  the  middle  of  December,  with 
weather  unusually  mild  for  that  season.  The 
dancers  held  that  there  would  be  no  snow  so 
long  as  their  rites  continued. 

An  Indian  called  Little  had  been  guilty 
of  some  minor  offense  on  the  reservation  and 
had  hitherto  evaded  arrest.  Suddenly  he 
appeared  at  the  agency  on  an  issue  day,  for 
the  express  purpose,  as  it  seemed,  of  defying 
the  authorities.  The  assembly  room  of  the 
Indian  police,  used  also  as  a  council  room, 
opened  out  of  my  dispensary,  and  on  this 
particular  morning  a  council  was  in  progress. 
I  heard  some  loud  talking,  but  was  too  busy 
to  pay  particular  attention,  though  my 
assistant  had  gone  in  to  listen  to  the  speeches. 
Suddenly  the  place  was  in  an  uproar,  and 
George  burst  into  the  inner  office,  crying 
excitedly  "Look  out  for  yourself,  friend! 
They  are  going  to  fight !" 
93 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

I  went  around  to  see  what  was  going  on. 
A  crowd  had  gathered  just  outside  the  coun 
cil  room,  and  the  police  were  surrounded 
by  wild  Indians  with  guns  and  drawn 
knives  in  their  hands.  "Hurry  up  with 
them!"  one  shouted,  while  another  held  his 
stone  war-club  over  a  policeman's  head. 
The  attempt  to  arrest  Little  had  met  with 
a  stubborn  resistance. 

At  this  critical  moment,  a  fine-looking 
Indian  in  citizen's  clothes  faced  the  excited 
throng,  and  spoke  in  a  clear,  steady,  almost 
sarcastic  voice. 

"Stop!  Think!  What  are  you  going  to 
do  ?  Kill  these  men  of  our  own  race  ?  Then 
what?  Kill  all  these  helpless  white  men, 
women  and  children?  And  what  then? 
What  will  these  brave  words,  brave  deeds 
lead  to  in  the  end?  How  long  can  you 
hold  out  ?  Your  country  is  surrounded  with 
a  network  of  railroads;  thousands  of  white 
soldiers  will  be  here  within  three  days. 
What  ammunition  have  you?  what  provi 
sions?  What  will  become  of  your  families? 
Think,  think,  my  brothers !  this  is  a  child's 
madness." 

94 


The  Ghost  Dance  War 

It  was  the  "friendly"  chief,  American 
Horse,  and  it  seems  to  me  as  I  recall  the 
incident  that  this  man's  voice  had  almost 
magic  power.  It  is  likely  that  he  saved  us 
all  from  massacre,  for  the  murder  of  the 
police,  who  represented  the  authority  of  the 
Government,  would  surely  have  been  followed 
by  a  general  massacre.  It  is  a  fact  that  those 
Indians  who  upheld  the  agent  were  in  quite 
as  much  danger  from  their  wilder  brethren 
as  were  the  whites,  indeed  it  was  said  that 
the  feeling  against  them  was  even  stronger. 
Jack  Red  Cloud,  son  of  the  chief,  thrust  the 
muzzle  of  a  cocked  revolver  almost  into  the 
face  of  American  Horse.  "It  is  you  and 
your  kind,"  he  shouted,  "who  have  brought 
us  to  this  pass ! "  That  brave  man  never 
flinched.  Ignoring  his  rash  accuser,  he 
quietly  reentered  the  office;  the  door 
closed  behind  him;  the  mob  dispersed, 
and  for  the  moment  the  danger  seemed 
over. 

That  evening  I  was  surprised  by  a  late 

call  from  American  Horse,  the  hero  of  the 

day.     His   wife   entered   close   behind   him. 

Scarcely   were  they   seated  when  my   door 

95 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

again  opened  softly,  and  Captain  Sword 
came  in,  followed  by  Lieutenant  Thunder 
Bear  and  most  of  the  Indian  police.  My 
little  room  was  crowded.  I  handed  them 
some  tobacco,  which  I  had  always  at  hand 
for  my  guests,  although  I  did  not  smoke 
myself.  After  a  silence,  the  chief  got  up 
and  shook  hands  with  me  ceremoniously. 
In  a  short  speech,  he  asked  my  advice  in 
the  difficult  situation  that  confronted  them 
between  the  ghost  dancers,  men  of  their  own 
blood,  and  the  Government  to  which  they 
had  pledged  their  loyalty. 

Thanks  to  Indian  etiquette,  I  could  allow 
myself  two  or  three  minutes  to  weigh  my 
words  before  replying.  I  finally  said,  in 
substance:  " There  is  only  one  thing  for 
us  to  do  and  be  just  to  both  sides.  We  must 
use  every  means  for  a  peaceful  settlement  of 
this  difficulty.  Let  us  be  patient;  let  us 
continue  to  reason  with  the  wilder  ele 
ment,  even  though  some  hotheads  may 
threaten  our  lives.  If  the  worst  happens, 
however,  it  is  our  solemn  duty  to  serve  the 
United  States  Government.  Let  no  man 
ever  say  that  we  were  disloyal !  Following 
96 


The  Ghost  Dance  War 

such  a  policy,  dead  or  alive,  we  shall  have 
no  apology  to  make." 

After  the  others  had  withdrawn,  Sword 
informed  me  confidentially  that  certain 
young  men  had  threatened  to  kill  American 
Horse  while  asleep  in  his  tent,  and  that  his 
friends  had  prevailed  upon  him  and  his  wife 
to  ask  my  hospitality  for  a  few  days.  I 
showed  Mrs.  American  Horse  to  a  small 
room  that  I  had  vacant,  and  soon  after 
ward  came  three  strokes  of  the  office  bell  - 
the  signal  for  me  to  report  at  the  agent's 
office. 

I  found  there  the  agent,  his  chief  clerk, 
and  a  visiting  inspector,  all  of  whom  ob 
viously  regarded  the  situation  as  serious. 
"You  see,  doctor,"  said  the  agent,  "the 
occurrence  of  to-day  was  planned  with  re 
markable  accuracy,  so  that  even  our  alert 
police  were  taken  entirely  by  surprise  and 
readily  overpowered.  What  will  be  the 
sequel  we  can  not  tell,  but  we  must  be  pre 
pared  for  anything.  I  shall  be  glad  to  have 
your  views,"  he  added. 

I  told  him  that  I  still  did  not  believe  there 
was    any    widespread    plot,     or    deliberate 
97 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

intention  to  make  war  upon  the  whites.  In 
my  own  mind,  I  felt  sure  that  the  arrival  of 
troops  would  be  construed  by  the  ghost 
dancers  as  a  threat  or  a  challenge,  and  would 
put  them  at  once  on  the  defensive.  I  was 
not  in  favor  of  that  step;  neither  was  Mr. 
Cook,  who  was  also  called  into  conference; 
but  the  officials  evidently  feared  a  general 
uprising,  and  argued  that  it  was  their  duty 
to  safeguard  the  lives  of  the  employees  and 
others  by  calling  for  the  soldiers  without 
more  delay.  Sword,  Thunder  Bear,  and 
American  Horse  were  sent  for  and  their 
opinions  appeared  to  be  fully  in  accord 
with  those  of  the  agent  and  inspector,  so 
the  matter  was  given  out  as  settled.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  agent  had  telegraphed  to 
Fort  Robinson  for  troops  before  he  made  a 
pretense  of  consulting  us  Indians,  and  they 
were  already  on  their  way  to  Pine  Ridge. 

I  scarcely  knew  at  the  time,  but  gradually 
learned  afterward,  that  the  Sioux  had  many 
grievances  and  causes  for  profound  dis 
content,  which  lay  back  of  and  were  more  or 
less  closely  related  to  the  ghost  dance  craze 
and  the  prevailing  restlessness  and  excite- 
98 


The  Ghost  Dance  War 

ment.  Rations  had  been  cut  from  time  to 
time ;  the  people  were  insufficiently  fed,  and 
their  protests  and  appeals  were  disregarded. 
Never  was  more  ruthless  fraud  and  graft 
practiced  upon  a  defenseless  people  than 
upon  these  poor  natives  by  the  politicians ! 
Never  were  there  more  worthless  "scraps  of 
paper"  anywhere  in  the  world  than  many  of 
the  Indian  treaties  and  Government  docu 
ments  !  Sickness  was  prevalent  and  the 
death  rate  alarming,  especially  among  the 
children.  Trouble  from  all  these  causes  had 
for  some  time  been  developing,  but  might 
have  been  checked  by  humane  and  concilia 
tory  measures.  The  "Messiah  craze"  in 
itself  was  scarcely  a  source  of  danger,  and 
one  might  almost  as  well  call  upon  the  army 
to  suppress  Billy  Sunday  and  his  hysterical 
followers.  Other  tribes  than  the  Sioux  who 
adopted  the  new  religion  were  let  alone, 
and  the  craze  died  a  natural  death  in  the 
course  of  a  few  months. 

Among  the  leaders  of  the  malcontents  at 
this  time  were  Jack  Red  Cloud,  No  Water, 
He  Dog,  Four  Bears,  Yellow  Bear,  and  Kick 
ing  Bear.     Friendly  leaders  included  Ameri- 
99 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

can  Horse,  Young  Man  Afraid  of  his  Horses, 
Bad  Wound,  Three  Stars.  There  was  still 
another  set  whose  attitude  was  not  clearly 
defined,  and  among  these  men  was  Red 
Cloud,  the  greatest  of  them  all.  He  who 
had  led  his  people  so  brilliantly  and  with 
such  remarkable  results,  both  in  battle  and 
diplomacy,  was  now  an  old  man  of  over 
seventy  years,  living  in  a  frame  house  which 
had  been  built  for  him  within  a  half  mile  of 
the  agency.  He  would  come  to  council, 
but  said  little  or  nothing.  No  one  knew 
exactly  where  he  stood,  but  it  seemed  that 
he  was  broken  in  spirit  as  in  body  and  con 
vinced  of  the  hopelessness  of  his  people's 
cause. 

It  was  Red  Cloud  who  asked  the  historic 
question,  at  a  great  council  held  in  the  Black 
Hills  region  writh  a  Government  commission, 
and  after  good  Bishop  Whipple  had  finished 
the  invocation,  "Which  God  is  our  brother 
praying  to  now  ?  Is  it  the  same  God  whom 
they  have  twice  deceived,  when  they  made 
treaties  with  us  which  they  afterward 
broke?" 

Early  in  the  morning  after  the  attempted 
100 


MATO-WA-NAHTAKA,  (KICKING  BEAR.)     HIGH  PRIEST  OF  THE 
"  MESSIAH  CRAZE,"  1890-01. 


The  Ghost  Dance  War 

arrest  of  Little,  George  rushed  into  my 
quarters  and  awakened  me.  "Come 
quick!"  he  shouted,  "the  soldiers  are 
here!"  I  looked  along  the  White  Clay 
creek  toward  the  little  railroad  town  of 
Rushville,  Nebraska,  twenty -five  miles  away, 
and  just  as  the  sun  rose  above  the  knife- 
edged  ridges  black  with  stunted  pine,  I 
perceived  a  moving  cloud  of  dust  that  marked 
the  trail  of  the  Ninth  Cavalry.  There  was 
instant  commotion  among  the  camps  of 
friendly  Indians.  Many  women  and  chil 
dren  were  coming  in  to  the  agency  for  refuge, 
evidently  fearing  that  the  dreaded  soldiers 
might  attack  their  villages  by  mistake. 
Some  who  had  not  heard  of  their  impending 
arrival  hurried  to  the  offices  to  ask  what 
it  meant.  I  assured  those  who  appealed 
to  me  that  the  troops  were  here  only  to 
preserve  order,  but  their  suspicions  were 
not  easily  allayed. 

As  the  cavalry  came  nearer,  we  saw  that 
they  were  colored  troopers,  wearing  buffalo 
overcoats  and  muskrat  caps ;  the  Indians 
with  their  quick  wit  called  them  "buffalo 
soldiers."  They  halted,  and  established  their 
101 


\ 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

temporary  camp  in  the  open  space  before  the 
agency  enclosure.  The  news  had  already 
gone  out  through  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  reservation,  and  the  wildest  rumors  were 
in  circulation.  Indian  scouts  might  be  seen 
upon  every  hill  top,  closely  watching  the 
military  encampment. 

At  this  juncture  came  the  startling  news 
from  Fort  Yates,  some  two  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  to  the  north  of  us,  that  Sitting 
Bull  had  been  killed  by  Indian  police  while 
resisting  arrest,  and  a  number  of  his  men  with 
him,  as  well  as  several  of  the  police.  We 
next  heard  that  the  remnant  of  his  band  had 
fled  in  our  direction,  and  soon  afterward, 
that  they  had  been  joined  by  Big  Foot's 
band  from  the  western  part  of  Cheyenne 
River  agency,  which  lay  directly  in  their 
road.  United  States  troops  continued  to 
gather  at  strategic  points,  and  of  course 
the  press  seized  upon  the  opportunity  to 
enlarge  upon  the  strained  situation  and 
predict  an  "Indian  uprising."  The  reporters 
were  among  us,  and  managed  to  secure  much 
"news"  that  no  one  else  ever  heard  of. 
Border  towns  were  fortified  and  cowboys 
102 


The  Ghost  Dance  War 

and  militia  gathered  in  readiness  to  protect 
them  against  the  "red  devils."  Certain 
classes  of  the  frontier  population  indus 
triously  fomented  the  excitement  for  what 
there  was  in  it  for  them,  since  much  money 
is  apt  to  be  spent  at  such  times.  As  for  the 
poor  Indians,  they  were  quite  as  badly 
scared  as  the  whites  and  perhaps  with  more 
reason. 

General  Brooke  undertook  negotiations 
with  the  ghost  dancers,  and  finally  induced 
them  to  come  within  reach.  They  camped 
on  a  flat  about  a  mile  north  of  us  and  in  full 
view,  while  the  more  tractable  bands  were 
still  gathered  on  the  south  and  west.  The 
large  boarding  school  had  locked  its  doors 
and  succeeded  in  holding  its  hundreds  of 
Indian  children,  partly  for  their  own  sakes,  » 
and  partly  as  hostages  for  the  good  behavior  \  / 
of  their  fathers.  At  the  agency  were  now 
gathered  all  the  government  employees  and 
their  families,  except  such  as  had  taken 
flight,  together  with  traders,  missionaries, 
and  ranchmen,  army  officers,  and  newspaper 
men.  It  was  a  conglomerate  population. 

During   this   time   of  grave   anxiety   and 
103 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

nervous  tension,  the  cooler  heads  among  us 
went  about  our  business,  and  still  refused  to 
believe  in  the  tragic  possibility  of  an  Indian 
war.  It  may  be  imagined  that  I  was  more 
than  busy,  though  I  had  not  such  long  dis 
tances  to  cover,  for  since  many  Indians 
accustomed  to  comfortable  log  houses  were 
compelled  to  pass  the  winter  in  tents,  there 
was  even  more  sickness  than  usual.  I  had 
access  and  welcome  to  the  camps  of  all  the 
various  groups  and  factions,  a  privilege 
shared  by  my  good  friend  Father  Jutz,  the 
Catholic  missionary,  who  was  completely 
trusted  by  his  people. 

The  Christmas  season  was  fast  approaching, 
and  this  is  perhaps  the  brightest  spot  in  the 
mission  year.  The  children  of  the  Sunday 
Schools,  and  indeed  all  the  people,  look 
eagerly  forward  to  the  joyous  feast ;  barrels 
and  boxes  are  received  and  opened,  candy 
bags  made  and  filled,  carols  practiced,  and 
churches  decorated  with  ropes  of  spicy  ever 
green. 

Anxious  to  relieve  the  tension  in  every 
way  within  his  power,  Mr.  Cook  and  his 
helpers  went  on  with  their  preparations  upon 
104 


The  Ghost  Dance  War 

even  a  larger  scale  than  usual.  Since  all 
of  the  branch  stations  had  been  closed  and 
the  people  called  in,  it  was  planned  to  keep 
the  Christmas  tree  standing  in  the  chapel 
for  a  week,  and  to  distribute  gifts  to  a 
separate  congregation  each  evening.  I  found 
myself  pressed  into  the  service,  and  passed 
some  happy  hours  in  the  rectory.  For  me, 
at  that  critical  time,  there  was  inward  struggle 
as  well  as  the  threat  of  outward  conflict,  and 
I  could  not  but  recall  what  my  "white 
mother"  had  said  jokingly  one  day,  referring 
to  my  pleasant  friendships  with  many  charm 
ing  Boston  girls,  "I  know  one  Sioux  who  has 
not  been  conquered,  and  I  shall  not  rest 
till  I  hear  of  his  capture!" 

I  had  planned  to  enter  upon  my  life  work 
unhampered  by  any  other  ties,  and  declared 
that  all  my  love  should  be  vested  in  my 
people  and  my  profession.  At  last,  however, 
I  had  met  a  woman  whose  sincerity  was 
convincing  and  whose  ideals  seemed  very 
like  my  own.  Her  childhood  had  been 
spent  almost  as  much  out  of  doors  as  mine, 
on  a  lonely  estate  high  up  in  the  Berkshire 
hills;  her  ancestry  Puritan  on  one  side, 
105 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

proud  Tories  on  the  other.  She  had  been 
moved  by  the  appeals  of  that  wonderful 
man,  General  Armstrong,  and  had  gone  to 
Hampton  as  a  young  girl  to  teach  the 
Indians  there.  After  three  years,  she  under 
took  pioneer  work  in  the  West  as  teacher  of  a 
new  camp  school  among  the  wilder  Sioux, 
and  after  much  travel  and  study  of  their 
peculiar  problems  had  been  offered  the 
appointment  she  now  held.  She  spoke  the 
Sioux  language  fluently  and  went  among 
the  people  with  the  utmost  freedom  and 
confidence.  Her  methods  of  work  were 
very  simple  and  direct.  I  do  not  know 
what  unseen  hand  had  guided  me  to  her 
side,  but  on  Christmas  day  of  1890,  Elaine 
Goodale  and  I  announced  our  engagement. 

Three  days  later,  we  learned  that  Big 
Foot's  band  of  ghost  dancers  from  the 
Cheyenne  river  reservation  north  of  us  was 
approaching  the  agency,  and  that  Major 
Whiteside  was  in  command  of  troops  with 
orders  to  intercept  them. 

Late  that  afternoon,  the  Seventh  Cavalry 
under  Colonel  Forsythe  was  called  to  the 
saddle  and  rode  off  toward  Wounded  Knee 
106 


The  Ghost  Dance  War 

creek,  eighteen  miles  away.  Father  Craft, 
a  Catholic  priest  with  some  Indian  blood, 
who  knew  Sitting  Bull  and  his  people,  fol 
lowed  an  hour  or  so  later,  and  I  was  much 
inclined  to  go  too,  but  my  fiancee  pointed 
out  that  my  duty  lay  rather  at  home  with 
our  Indians,  and  I  stayed. 

The  morning  of  December  29th  was  sunny 
and  pleasant.  We  were  all  straining  our 
ears  toward  Wounded  Knee,  and  about  the 
middle  of  the  forenoon  we  distinctly  heard 
the  reports  of  the  Hotchkiss  guns.  Two 
hours  later,  a  rider  was  seen  approaching  at 
full  speed,  and  in  a  few  minutes  he  had  dis 
mounted  from  his  exhausted  horse  and 
handed  his  message  to  General  Brooke's 
orderly.  The  Indians  were  watching  their 
own  messenger,  who  ran  on  foot  along  the 
northern  ridges  and  carried  the  news  to  the 
so-called  "hostile"  camp.  It  was  said  that 
he  delivered  his  message  at  almost  the  same 
time  as  the  mounted  officer. 

The  resulting  confusion  and  excitement 
was  unmistakable.  The  white  teepees  dis 
appeared  as  if  by  magic  and  soon  the  caravans 
were  in  motion,  going  toward  the  natural 
107 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

fortress  of  the  "Bad  Lands."  In  the 
"friendly"  camp  there  was  almost  as  much 
turmoil,  and  crowds  of  frightened  women 
and  children  poured  into  the  agency.  Big 
Foot's  band  had  been  wiped  out  by  the 
troops,  and  reprisals  were  naturally  looked 
for.  The  enclosure  was  not  barricaded  in 
any  way  and  we  had  but  a  small  detachment 
of  troops  for  our  protection.  Sentinels  were 
placed,  and  machine  guns  trained  on  the 
various  approaches. 

A  few  hot-headed  young  braves  fired  on 
the  sentinels  and  wounded  two  of  them.  The 
Indian  police  began  to  answer  by  shooting 
at  several  braves  who  were  apparently  about 
to  set  fire  to  some  of  the  outlying  buildings. 
Every  married  employee  was  seeking  a 
place  of  safety  for  his  family,  the  interpreter 
among  them.  Just  then  General  Brooke  ran 
out  into  the  open,  shouting  at  the  top  of  his 
voice  to  the  police:  "Stop,  stop!  Doctor, 
tell  them  they  must  not  fire  until  ordered !" 
I  did  so,  as  the  bullets  whistled  by  us,  and 
the  General's  coolness  perhaps  saved  all 
our  lives,  for  we  were  in  no  position  to  repel 
a  large  attacking  force.  Since  we  did  not 
108 


The  Ghost  Dance  War 

reply,  the  scattered  shots  soon  ceased,  but 
the  situation  remained  critical  for  several 
days  and  nights. 

My  office  was  full  of  refugees.  I  called 
one  of  my  good  friends  aside  and  asked  him 
to  saddle  my  two  horses  and  stay  by  them. 
"When  general  fighting  begins,  take  them 
to  Miss  Goodale  and  see  her  to  the  railroad 
if  you  can,"  I  told  him.  Then  I  went  over 
to  the  rectory.  Mrs.  Cook  refused  to  go 
without  her  husband,  and  Miss  Goodale 
would  not  leave  while  there  was  a  chance  of 
being  of  service.  The  house  was  crowded 
with  terrified  people,  most  of  them  Christian 
Indians,  whom  our  friends  were  doing  their 
best  to  pacify. 

At  dusk,  the  Seventh  Cavalry  returned 
with  their  twenty-five  dead  and  I  believe 
thirty-four  wounded,  most  of  them  by  their 
own  comrades,  who  had  encircled  the  In 
dians,  while  few  of  the  latter  had  guns.  A 
majority  of  the  thirty  or  more  Indian 
wounded  were  women  and  children,  includ 
ing  babies  in  arms.  As  there  were  not  tents 
enough  for  all,  Mr.  Cook  offered  us  the 
mission  chapel,  in  which  the  Christmas  tree 
109 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

still  stood,  for  a  temporary  hospital.  We 
tore  out  the  pews  and  covered  the  floor  with 
hay  and  quilts.  There  we  laid  the  poor 
creatures  side  by  side  in  rows,  and  the 
night  was  devoted  to  caring  for  them  as 
best  we  could.  Many  were  frightfully  torn 
by  pieces  of  shells,  and  the  suffering  was 
terrible.  General  Brooke  placed  me  in  charge 
and  I  had  to  do  nearly  all  the  work,  for  al 
though  the  army  surgeons  were  more  than 
ready  to  help  as  soon  as  their  own  men  had 
been  cared  for,  the  tortured  Indians  would 
scarcely  allow  a  man  in  uniform  to  touch 
them.  Mrs.  Cook,  Miss  Goodale,  and  several 
of  Mr.  Cook's  Indian  helpers  acted  as 
volunteer  nurses.  In  spite  of  all  our  efforts, 
we  lost  the  greater  part  of  them,  but  a  few 
recovered,  including  several  children  who 
had  lost  all  their  relatives  and  who  were 
adopted  into  kind  Christian  families. 

On  the  day  following  the  Wounded  Knee 
massacre  there  was  a  blizzard,  in  the  midst 
of  which  I  was  ordered  out  with  several 
Indian  police,  to  look  for  a  policeman  who 
was  reported  to  have  been  wounded  and 
left  some  two  miles  from  the  agency.  We  did 
110 


The  Ghost  Dance  War 

not  find  him.  This  was  the  only  time  during 
the  whole  affair  that  I  carried  a  weapon;  a 
friend  lent  me  a  revolver  which  I  put  in  my 
overcoat  pocket,  and  it  was  lost  on  the  ride. 
On  the  third  day  it  cleared,  and  the  ground 
was  covered  with  an  inch  or  two  of  fresh 
snow.  We  had  feared  that  some  of  the 
Indian  wounded  might  have  been  left  on 
the  field,  and  a  number  of  us  volunteered  to 
go  and  see.  I  was  placed  in  charge  of  the 
expedition  of  about  a  hundred  civilians,  ten 
or  fifteen  of  whom  were  white  men.  We 
were  supplied  with  wagons  in  which  to 
convey  any  whom  we  might  find  still  alive. 
Of  course  a  photographer  and  several  re 
porters  were  of  the  party. 

Fully  three  miles  from  the  scene  of  the 
massacre  we  found  the  body  of  a  woman 
completely  covered  with  a  blanket  of  snow, 
and  from  this  point  on  we  found  them 
scattered  along  as  they  had  been  relent 
lessly  hunted  down  and  slaughtered  while 
fleeing  for  their  lives.  Some  of  our  people 
discovered  relatives  or  friends  among  the 
dead,  and  there  was  much  wailing  and  mourn 
ing.  When  we  reached  the  spot  where  the 
111 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

Indian  camp  had  stood,  among  the  fragments 
of  burned  tents  and  other  belongings  we  saw 
the  frozen  bodies  lying  close  together  or  piled 
one  upon  another.  I  counted  eighty  bodies 
of  men  who  had  been  in  the  council  and  who 
were  almost  as  helpless  as  the  women  and 
babes  when  the  deadly  fire  began,  for  nearly 
all  their  guns  had  been  taken  from  them.  A 
reckless  and  desperate  young  Indian  fired 
the  first  shot  when  the  search  for  weapons 
was  well  under  way,  and  immediately  the 
troops  opened  fire  from  all  sides,  killing 
not  only  unarmed  men,  women,  and  chil 
dren,  but  their  own  comrades  who  stood 
opposite  them,  for  the  camp  was  entirely 
surrounded. 

It  took  all  of  my  nerve  to  keep  my  com 
posure  in  the  face  of  this  spectacle,  and  of 
the  excitement  and  grief  of  my  Indian  com 
panions,  nearly  every  one  of  whom  was 
crying  aloud  or  singing  his  death  song. 
The  white  men  became  very  nervous,  but 
I  set  them  to  examining  and  uncovering 
every  body  to  see  if  one  were  living.  Al 
though  they  had  been  lying  untended  in  the 
snow  and  cold  for  two  days  and  nights,  a 


The  Ghost  Dance  War 

number  had  survived.  Among  them  I  found 
a  baby  of  about  a  year  old  warmly  wrapped 
and  entirely  unhurt.  I  brought  her  in,  and 
she  was  afterward  adopted  and  educated  by 
an  army  officer.  One  man  who  was  severely 
wounded  begged  me  to  fill  his  pipe.  When 
we  brought  him  into  the  chapel  he  was 
welcomed  by  his  wife  and  daughters  with 
cries  of  joy,  but  he  died  a  day  or  two 
later. 

Under  a  wagon  I  discovered  an  old  woman, 
totally  blind  and  entirely  helpless.  A  few 
had  managed  to  crawl  away  to  some  place  of 
shelter,  and  we  found  in  a  log  store  near  by 
several  who  were  badly  hurt  and  others  who 
had  died  after  reaching  there.  After  we  had 
dispatched  several  wagon  loads  to  the  agency, 
we  observed  groups  of  warriors  watching  us 
from  adjacent  buttes;  probably  friends  of 
the  victims  who  had  come  there  for  the  same 
purpose  as  ourselves.  A  majority  of  our 
party,  fearing  an  attack,  insisted  that  some 
one  ride  back  to  the  agency  for  an  escort  of 
soldiers,  and  as  mine  was  the  best  horse, 
it  fell  to  me  to  go.  I  covered  the  eighteen 
miles  in  quick  time  and  was  not  interfered 
113 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

with  in  any  way,  although  if  the  Indians  had 
meant  mischief  they  could  easily  have 
picked  me  off  from  any  of  the  ravines  and 
gulches. 

All  this  was  a  severe  ordeal  for  one  who 
had  so  lately  put  all  his  faith  in  the  Christian 
love  and  lofty  ideals  of  the  white  man.  Yet 
I  passed  no  hasty  judgment,  and  was  thank 
ful  that  I  might  be  of  some  service  and 
relieve  even  a  small  part  of  the  suffering. 
An  appeal  published  in  a  Boston  paper 
brought  us  liberal  supplies  of  much  needed 
clothing,  and  linen  for  dressings.  We  worked 
on.  Bishop  Hare  of  South  Dakota  visited 
us,  and  was  overcome  by  faintness  when  he 
entered  his  mission  chapel,  thus  transformed 
into  a  rude  hospital. 

After  some  days  of  extreme  tension,  and 
weeks  of  anxiety,  the  "hostiles,"  so  called, 
were  at  last  induced  to  come  in  and  submit 
to  a  general  disarmament.  Father  Jutz, 
the  Catholic  missionary,  had  gone  bravely 
among  them  and  used  all  his  influence  toward 
a  peaceful  settlement.  The  troops  were  all 
recalled  and  took  part  in  a  grand  review 
before  General  Miles,  no  doubt  intended 
114 


The  Ghost  Dance  War 

to  impress  the  Indians  with  their  superior 
force. 

In  March,  all  being  quiet,  Miss  Goodale 
decided  to  send  in  her  resignation  and  go 
East  to  visit  her  relatives,  and  our  wedding 
day  was  set  for  the  following  June. 


115 


VIII 
WAR  WITH  THE  POLITICIANS 

"1  ?[  7TIEN  the  most  industrious  and  ad- 
*  vanced  Indians  on  the  reservation, 
to  the  number  of  thousands,  were  ordered 
into  camp  within  gunshot  of  Pine  Ridge 
agency,  they  had  necessarily  left  their  homes, 
their  live  stock,  and  most  of  their  household 
belongings  unguarded.  In  all  troubles  be 
tween  the  two  races,  history  tells  us  that  the 
innocent  and  faithful  Indians  have  been 
sufferers,  and  this  case  was  no  exception. 
There  was  much  sickness  from  exposure, 
and  much  unavoidable  sorrow  and  anxiety. 
Furthermore,  the  "war"  being  over,  these 
\  loyal  Indians  found  that  their  houses  had 
been  entered  and  pillaged,  and  many  of 
their  cattle  and  horses  had  disappeared. 

The  authorities  laid  all  this  to  the  door 
of   the   "hostiles,"   and  no   doubt   in   some 
cases  the  charge  may  have  been  true.     On 
116 


War  with  the  Politicians 

the  other  hand,  this  was  a  golden  opportunity 
for  white  horse  and  cattle  thieves  in  the 
surrounding  country,  and  the  ranch  owners 
within  a  radius  of  a  hundred  miles  claimed 
large  losses  also.  Moreover,  the  Govern 
ment  herd  of  "issue  cattle"  was  found  to  be 
greatly  depleted.  It  was  admitted  that 
some  had  been  killed  for  food  by  those 
Indians  who  fled  in  terror  to  the  "Bad 
Lands,"  but  only  a  limited  number  could 
be  accounted  for  in  this  way,  and  little  of 
the  stolen  property  was  ever  found.  An  in 
spector  was  ordered  to  examine  and  record 
these  "depredation  claims,"  and  Congress 
passed  a  special  appropriation  of  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars  to  pay  them.  We  shall 
hear  more  of  this  later. 

I  have  tried  to  make  it  clear  that  there 
was  no  "Indian  outbreak"  in  1890-91,  and 
that  such  trouble  as  we  had  may  justly  be 
charged  to  the  dishonest  politicians,  who 
through  unfit  appointees  first  robbed  the 
Indians,  then  bullied  them,  and  finally  in  a 
panic  called  for  troops  to  suppress  them. 
From  my  first  days  at  Pine  Ridge,  certain 
Indians  and  white  people  had  taken  every 
117 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

occasion  to  whisper  into  my  reluctant  ears 
the  tale  of  wrongs,  real  or  fancied,  committed 
by  responsible  officials  on  the  reservation,  or 
by  their  connivance.  To  me  these  stones 
were  unbelievable,  from  the  point  of  view  of 
common  decency.  I  held  that  a  great 
government  such  as  ours  would  never  con 
done  or  permit  any  such  practices,  while 
administering  large  trust  funds  and  standing 
in  the  relation  of  guardian  to  a  race  made 
helpless  by  lack  of  education  and  of  legal 
safeguards.  At  that  time,  I  had  not  dreamed 
what  American  politics  really  is,  and  I  had 
the  most  exalted  admiration  for  our  noted 
public  men.  Accordingly,  I  dismissed  these 
reports  as  mere  gossip  or  the  inventions  of 
mischief-makers. 

In  March  of  1891  I  was  invited  to  address 
the  Congregational  Club  of  Chicago,  and 
on  my  arrival  in  the  city  I  found  to  my  sur 
prise  that  the  press  still  fostered  the  illusion 
of  a  general  Indian  uprising  in  the  spring. 
It  was  reported  that  all  the  towns  adjoining 
the  Sioux  reservations  had  organized  and 
were  regularly  drilling  a  home  guard  for 
their  protection.  These  alarmists  seemed 
118 


War  with  the  Politicians 

either  ignorant  or  forgetful  of  the  fact  that 
there  were  only  about  thirty  thousand  Sioux 
altogether,  or  perhaps  six  thousand  men  of 
fighting  age,  more  than  half  of  whom  had 
been  civilized  and  Christianized  for  a  genera 
tion  and  had  just  proved  their  loyalty  and 
steadfastness  through  a  trying  time.  Fur 
thermore,  the  leaders  of  the  late  "hostiles" 
were  even  then  in  confinement  in  Fort 
Sheridan.  When  I  was  approached  by  the 
reporters,  I  reminded  them  of  this,  and  said 
that  everything  was  quiet  in  the  field,  but 
if  there  were  any  danger  from  the  ghost 
dancers,  Chicago  was  in  the  most  immediate 
peril ! 

Fortunately  we  had  in  the  office  of  Com 
missioner  of  Indian  Affairs  at  that  time  a 
sincere  man,  and  one  who  was  deeply  in 
sympathy  with  educational  and  missionary 
work,  General  Morgan  of  Indiana.  He  was 
a  lover  of  fair  play,  and  throughout  my  fight 
for  justice  he  gave  me  all  the  support  within 
his  power.  As  I  have  before  intimated,  I 
found  at  Pine  Ridge  no  conveyance  for  the 
doctor's  professional  use,  and  indeed  no 
medical  equipment  worthy  the  name.  The 
119 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

agency  doctor  was  thrown  entirely  upon  his 
own  resources,  without  the  support  of  col 
leagues,  and  there  was  no  serious  attempt  at 
sanitation  or  preventive  work.  I  had  spent 
a  good  part  of  my  salary,  as  well  as  funds 
contributed  by  friends  for  the  purpose,  in 
the  purchase  of  suitable  medical  supplies 
and  instruments.  Finally,  I  boldly  asked 
for  a  team  and  buggy,  also  a  hospital  for 
critical  cases,  with  a  trained  nurse,  and  a 
house  for  us  to  live  in.  Somewhat  to  my 
surprise,  all  of  these  were  allowed.  I  was 
ambitious  to  give  efficient  service,  so  far 
as  it  was  possible,  and  I  loved  my  work, 
though  the  field  was  too  large  and  the  sick 
were  too  many  for  one  man  to  care  for,  and 
there  were  many  obstacles  in  the  way.  One 
was  the  native  prejudice,  still  strong,  against 
the  white  man's  medicine,  and  especially 
against  any  kind  of  surgical  operation. 
The  people  were  afraid  of  anaesthesia,  and 
even  in  cases  where  life  depended  upon  it, 
they  had  steadfastly  refused  to  allow  a 
limb  to  be  amputated.  If  I  so  much  as  put 
on  a  plaster  cast,  I  had  no  sooner  left  our 
temporary  hospital  than  they  took  it  off. 
120 


War  with  the  Politicians 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  tell  how  this 
prejudice  was  in  part  overcome.  One  day 
my  friend  Three  Stars,  a  Christian  chief, 
came  in  with  his  wife,  who  had  dislocated 
her  shoulder.  "Can  you  help  her?"  he 
asked.  "Yes,"  I  said,  "but  I  must  first 
put  her  to  sleep.  You  should  have  brought 
her  to  me  last  night,  when  it  first  happened, " 
I  added,  "and  then  that  would  not  have 
been  necessary." 

"You  know  best,"  replied  Three  Stars, 
"I  leave  it  entirely  with  you."  In  the 
presence  of  a  number  of  the  wounded  In 
dians,  I  administered  a  small  quantity  of 
chloroform  and  jerked  the  arm  back  into  its 
socket.  She  came  back  to  consciousness 
laughing.  It  appeared  to  them  a  miracle, 
and  I  was  appealed  to  after  that  whenever 
I  dressed  a  painful  wound,  to  "give  me  some 
of  that  stuff  you  gave  to  Three  Stars'  wife." 

Not  long  afterwards,  I  amputated  the 
leg  of  a  mixed  blood,  which  had  been  terribly 
crushed,  and  he  not  only  recovered  perfectly 
but  was  soon  able  to  get  about  with  ease  on 
the  artificial  limb  that  I  procured  for  him. 
My  reputation  was  now  established.  I  had 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

gained  much  valuable  experience,  and  in 
this  connection  I  want  to  express  my  appre 
ciation  of  the  kindness  of  several  army  sur 
geons  with  whom  it  was  my  pleasure  to 
work,  one  of  whom  took  my  place  during  a 
six  weeks'  leave  of  absence,  when  I  went 
east  to  be  married. 

I  had  some  interesting  experiences  with 
the  Indian  conjurers,  or  "medicine  men," 
to  use  the  names  commonly  given.  I  would 
rather  say,  mental  healer  or  Christian  scien 
tist  of  our  day,  for  the  medicine  man  was 
all  of  that,  and  further  he  practised  massage 
or  osteopathy,  used  the  Turkish-bath,  and 
some  useful  vegetable  remedies.  But  his 
main  hold  on  the  minds  of  the  people  was 
gained  through  his  appeals  to  the  spirits  and 
his  magnetic  and  hypnotic  powers. 

I  was  warned  that  these  men  would 
seriously  hamper  my  work,  but  I  succeeded 
in  avoiding  antagonism  by  a  policy  of 
friendliness.  Even  when  brought  face  to 
face  with  them  in  the  homes  of  my  patients, 
I  preserved  a  professional  and  brotherly 
attitude.  I  recall  one  occasion  when  a 
misunderstanding  between  the  parents  of 


War  with  the  Politicians 

a  sick  child  had  resulted  in  a  double  call. 
The  father,  who  was  a  policeman  and  a 
good  friend  of  mine,  urgently  requested  me 
to  see  his  child;  while  the  frantic  mother 
sent  for  the  most  noted  of  the  medicine  men. 

"Brother,"  I  said,  when  I  found  him  al 
ready  in  attendance,  "I  am  glad  you  got 
here  first.  I  had  a  long  way  to  come,  and 
the  children  need  immediate  attention." 

"I  think  so  too,"  he  replied,  "but  now  that 
you  are  here,  I  will  withdraw." 

"Why  so?  Surely  two  doctors  should  be 
better  than  one,"  I  retorted.  "Let  us  con 
sult  together.  In  the  first  place,  we  must 
determine  what  ails  the  child.  Then  we 
will  decide  upon  the  treatment."  He  seemed 
pleased,  and  I  followed  up  the  suggestion  of 
a  consultation  by  offering  to  enter  with  him 
the  swreat  bath  he  had  prepared  as  a  means  of 
purification  before  beginning  his  work.  After 
that,  I  had  no  difficulty  in  getting  his  consent 
to  my  treatment  of  the  patient,  and  in  time 
he  became  one  of  my  warm  friends.  It  was 
not  unusual  for  him  and  other  conjurers  to 
call  at  my  office  to  consult  me,  or  "borrow" 
my  medicine. 

123 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

I  had  some  of  the  wounded  in  my  care  all 
winter.  I  remember  one  fine  looking  man 
who  was  severely  injured ;  a  man  of  ordinary 
strength  would  have  succumbed,  but  his 
strength  and  courage  were  exceptional,  and 
best  of  all,  he  had  perfect  faith  in  my  ability 
to  restore  him  to  health.  All  through  those 
months  of  trial,  his  pretty  young  wife  was 
my  faithful  assistant.  Every  morning  she 
came  to  see  him  with  her  baby  on  her  back, 
cheering  him  and  inspiring  us  both  to  do  our 
best.  When  at  last  he  was  able  to  travel, 
they  came  together  to  say  good-bye.  She 
handed  me  something,  carefully  wrapped  in 
paper,  and  asked  me  not  to  open  it  until 
they  had  gone.  When  I  did  so,  I  found 
that  she  had  cut  off  her  beautiful  long 
braids  of  hair  and  given  them  to  me  in  token 
of  her  gratitude ! 

I  was  touched  by  this  little  illustration  of 
woman's  devotion,  and  happy  in  the  thought 
that  I  was  soon  to  realize  my  long  dream  — 
to  become  a  complete  man !  I  thought  of 
little  else  than  the  good  we  two  could  do 
together,  and  was  perfectly  contented  with 
my  salary  of  twelve  hundred  dollars  a  year. 
124 


War  with  the  Politicians 

In  spite  of  all  that  I  had  gone  through,  life 
was  not  yet  a  serious  matter  to  me.  I  had 
faith  in  every  one,  and  accepted  civilization 
and  Christianity  at  their  face  value  —  a 
great  mistake,  as  I  was  to  learn  later  on.  I 
had  come  back  to  my  people,  not  to  minister 
to  their  physical  needs  alone,  but  to  be  a 
missionary  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  and 
as~T~was  much  struck  with  the  loss  of  manli 
ness  and  independence  in  these,  the  first 
"reservation  Indians"  I  had  ever  known,  I 
longed  above  all  things  to  help  them  to 
regain  their  self-respect. 

On  June  18,  1891,  I  was  married  to 
Elaine  Goodale  in  the  Church  of  the  As 
cension,  New  York  City,  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Donald.  Her  two  sisters  were  bridesmaids, 
and  I  had  my  chum  in  the  medical  school 
for  best  man,  and  two  Dartmouth  class 
mates  as  ushers.  Many  well  known  people 
were  present.  After  the  wedding  breakfast 
in  her  father's  apartments,  we  went  to  "Sky 
Farm,"  my  wife's  birth-place  in  the  beautiful 
Berkshire  hills,  where  she  and  her  sister 
Dora,  as  little  girls,  wrote  the  "Apple 
Blossoms"  and  other  poems.  A  reception 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

was  given  for  us  at  Dorchester  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wood,  and  after  attending  the  Wellesley 
College  commencement,  and  spending  a  few 
days  with  my  wife's  family,  we  returned  to 
the  West  by  way  of  Montreal.  At  Flandreau, 
South  Dakota,  my  brother  John  had  gathered 
all  the  family  and  the  whole  band  of  Flan 
dreau  Sioux  to  welcome  us.  There  my 
father  had  brought  me  home  from  Canada, 
an  absolute  wild  Indian,  only  eighteen  years 
earlier!  My  honored  father  had  been  dead 
for  some  years,  but  my  brothers  had  arranged 
to  have  a  handsome  memorial  to  him  erected 
and  unveiled  at  that  time. 

Our  new  home  was  building  when  we 
reached  Pine  Ridge,  and  we  started  life 
together  in  the  old  barracks,  while  planning 
the  finishing  and  furnishing  of  the  new.  It 
was  ready  for  us  early  in  the  fall.  I  had 
gained  permission  to  add  an  open  fireplace 
and  a  few  other  homelike  touches  at  my  own 
expense.  We  had  the  chiefs  and  leading 
men  to  dine  with  us,  and  quite  as  often  some 
of  the  humbler  Indians  and  poor  old  women 
were  our  guests.  In  fact,  we  kept  open 
house,  and  the  people  loved  to  come  and 


ELAINE  GOODALE  EASTMAN. 


War  with  the  Politicians 

talk  with  us  in  their  own  tongue.  My  wife 
accompanied  me  on  many  of  my  trips  now 
that  I  had  a  carriage,  and  was  always  pre 
pared  with  clean  clothing,  bandages,  and 
nourishing  food  for  my  needy  patients. 

There  was  nothing  I  called  my  own  save 
my  dogs  and  horses  and  my  medicine  bags, 
yet  I  was  perfectly  happy,  for  I  had  not  only 
gained  the  confidence  of  my  people,  but  that 
of  the  white  residents,  and  even  the  border 
ranchmen  called  me  in  now  and  then.  I 
answered  every  call,  and  have  ridden  forty 
or  fifty  miles  in  a  blizzard,  over  dangerous 
roads,  sometimes  at  night,  while  my  young 
wife  suffered  much  more  than  I  in  the  anxiety 
with  which  she  awaited  my  return.  That 
was  a  bitterly  cold  winter,  I  remember,  and 
we  had  only  wood  fires  (soft  wood)  and  no 
"modern  conveniences";  yet  we  kept  in 
perfect  health.  The  year  rolled  around  and 
our  first  child  was  born  —  a  little  girl  whom 
we  called  Dora. 

Meanwhile,   though  the  troops  had  been 

recalled,    we    were    under    military    agents ; 

there  were  several  changes,  and  our  relations 

were    pleasant    with    them    all.     The    time 

127 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

came  for  the  small  annual  payment  of  treaty 
money,  and  the  one  hundred  thousand  dollar 
payment  for  depredation  claims,  of  which  I 
have  spoken,  was  also  to  be  made  by  a 
special  disbursing  agent.  This  payment  was 
not  made  by  check,  as  usual,  but  in  cash, 
and  I  was  asked  to  be  one  of  the  three  wit 
nesses.  I  told  the  special  agent  that,  as  I 
was  almost  constantly  occupied,  it  would  be 
impossible  for  me  to  witness  the  payment, 
which  would  take  several  days;  but  he 
assured  me  that  if  only  one  of  the  three  were 
present  at  a  time  it  would  be  sufficient,  and, 
understanding  my  duties  to  be  only  nominal, 
I  consented. 

I  was  in  the  office  from  time  to  time  while 
the  payment  was  going  on,  and  saw  the  people 
sign  their  names,  generally  by  mark,  on  the 
roll  which  had  been  prepared,  opposite  the 
amount  which  each  was  supposed  to  receive ; 
then  a  clerk  at  another  desk  handed  each  in 
turn  a  handful  of  silver  and  bills,  and  he 
passed  out  as  quickly  as  possible.  The 
money  was  not  counted  out  to  him,  and  he 
was  given  no  chance  to  count  it  until  he 
got  outside.  Even  then,  many  could  not 
128 


War  with  the  Politicians 

count  it,  and  did  not  clearly  understand 
how  much  it  ought  to  be,  while  the  traders 
and  others  were  close  at  hand  to  get  all  or 
part  of  it  without  delay. 

Before  I  knew  it,  I  was  approached  by 
one  and  another,  who  declared  that  they  had 
not  received  the  full  amount,  and  I  found 
that  in  numerous  cases  reliable  persons  had 
counted  the  cash  as  soon  as  the  payees 
came  out  of  the  office.  A  very  able  white 
teacher,  a  college  graduate,  counted  for 
several  old  people  who  were  proteges  of 
hers;  an  influential  native  minister  did  the 
same,  and  so  did  several  others ;  all  reported 
that  the  amount  was  short  from  ten  to  fifteen 
per  cent.  When  any  one  brought  a  shortage 
to  the  attention  of  the  disbursing  agent  or 
his  clerk,  he  was  curtly  told  that  he  had 
made  a  mistake  or  lost  some  of  the  money. 

The  complaints  grew  louder,  and  other 
suspicious  circumstances  were  reported. 
Within  a  few  days  it  was  declared  that  an 
investigation  would  be  ordered.  The  agent 
who  had  made  the  payment  and  immediately 
left  the  agency,  being  informed  of  the  situa 
tion,  came  back  and  tried  to  procure  affidavits 
129 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

to  show  that  it  had  been  an  honest  payment. 
He  urged  me  to  sign,  as  one  of  the  original 
witnesses,  arguing  that  I  had  already  com 
mitted  myself.  I  refused.  I  said,  "After 
all,  I  did  not  see  the  full  amount  paid  to  each 
claimant.  As  the  payment  was  conducted, 
it  was  impossible  for  me  to  do  so.  I  trusted 
you,  therefore  I  allowed  you  to  use  my  name, 
but  I  don't  care  to  sign  again." 

The  regular  agent  in  charge  of  our  Indians 
at  the  time  was,  as  I  have  said,  an  army 
officer,  with  military  ideas  of  discipline. 
Like  myself,  he  had  been  in  the  field  much  of 
the  time  while  the  payment  was  going  on, 
but  had  officially  vouched  for  its  correctness 
and  signed  all  the  papers,  and  he  took  his 
stand  upon  this.  He  remonstrated  with  me 
for  my  position  in  the  matter,  and  did  his 
best  to  avoid  an  investigation;  but  I  was 
convinced  that  a  gross  fraud  had  been  com 
mitted,  and  in  my  inexperience  I  believed 
that  it  had  only  to  be  exposed  to  be  corrected. 
I  determined  to  do  all  in  my  power  to  secure 
justice  for  those  poor,  helpless  people,  even 
though  it  must  appear  that  I  was  careless  in 
signing  the  original  papers. 
130 


War  with  the  Politicians 

I  added  my  protest  to  that  of  others, 
and  the  department  sent  out  a  Quaker,  an 
inspector  whose  record  was  excellent  and 
who  went  about  the  work  in  a  direct  and 
straightforward  way.  He  engaged  a  reliable 
interpreter,  and  called  in  witnesses  on  both 
sides.  At  the  end  of  a  fortnight,  he  reported 
that  about  ten  thousand  dollars  had  been 
dishonestly  withheld  from  the  Indians.  A 
few  of  the  better  educated  and  more  in 
fluential,  especially  mixed  bloods,  had  been 
paid  in  full,  while  the  old  and  ignorant  had 
lost  as  high  as  fifteen  or  twenty  per  cent  of 
their  money.  Evidence  in  support  of  this 
decision  was  sent  to  Washington. 

After  a  short  interval,  I  learned  with 
astonishment  that  the  report  of  this  trusted 
inspector  had  not  been  accepted  by  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior,  who  had  ordered 
a  second  investigation  to  supersede  the 
first.  Naturally,  the  second  investigation 
was  a  farce  and  quickly  ended  in  "white 
washing"  the  special  payment.  The  next 
step  was  to  punish  those  who  had  testified 
for  the  Indians  or  tried  to  bring  about  an 
honest  investigation  in  the  face  of  official 
131 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

opposition.  Of  these,  I  had  been  perhaps 
the  most  active  and  outspoken. 

The  usual  method  of  disciplining  agency 
Indians  in  such  a  case  is  to  deprive  them  of 
various  privileges,  possibly  of  rations  also, 
and  sometimes  to  imprison  them  on  trivial 
pretexts.  White  men  with  Indian  wives, 
and  missionaries,  may  be  ordered  off  the 
reservation  as  "disturbers  of  the  peace," 
while  with  Government  employees,  some 
grounds  are  usually  found  for  their  dismissal 
from  the  service. 

I  was  promptly  charged  with  "insubordina 
tion"  and  other  things,  but  my  good  friend, 
General  Morgan,  then  Commissioner,  de 
clined  to  entertain  the  charges,  and  I,  on 
my  part,  kept  up  the  fight  at  Washington 
through  influential  friends,  and  made  every 
effort  to  prove  my  case,  or  rather,  the  case 
of  the  people,  for  I  had  at  no  time  any 
personal  interest  in  the  payment.  The  local 
authorities  followed  the  usual  tactics,  and 
undertook  to  force  a  resignation  by  making 
my  position  at  Pine  Ridge  intolerable.  An 
Indian  agent  has  almost  autocratic  power, 
and  the  conditions  of  life  on  an  agency  are 
132 


War  with  the  Politicians 

such  as  to  make  every  resident  largely 
dependent  upon  his  good  will.  We  soon 
found  ourselves  hampered  in  our  work  and 
harassed  by  every  imaginable  annoyance. 
My  requisitions  were  overlooked  or  "for 
gotten,"  and  it  became  difficult  to  secure 
the  necessaries  of  life.  I  would  receive  a 
curt  written  order  to  proceed  without  delay 
to  some  remote  point  to  visit  a  certain  alleged 
patient;  then,  before  I  had  covered  the 
distance,  would  be  overtaken  by  a  mounted 
policeman  with  arbitrary  orders  to  return 
at  once  to  the  agency.  On  driving  in  rapidly 
and  reporting  to  the  agent's  office  for  details 
of  the  supposed  emergency,  I  might  be  re 
buked  for  overdriving  the  horses,  and  charged 
with  neglect  of  some  chronic  case  of  which  I 
had  either  never  been  informed,  or  to  which 
it  had  been  physically  impossible  for  me  to 
give  regular  attention. 

This  sort  of  thing  went  on  for  several 
months,  and  I  was  finally  summoned  to 
Washington  for  a  personal  conference.  I 
think  I  may  safely  say  that  my  story  was 
believed  by  Senators  Dawes  and  Hoar,  and 
by  Commissioner  Morgan  also.  I  saw  the 
133 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

Secretary  of  the  Interior  and  the  President, 
but  they  were  non-committal.  On  my 
return,  the  same  inspector  who  had  white 
washed  the  payment  was  directed  to  investi 
gate  the  "strained  relations"  between  the 
agent  and  myself,  and  my  wife,  who  had 
meantime  published  several  very  frank  letters 
in  influential  eastern  papers,  was  made  a 
party  in  the  case. 

I  will  not  dwell  upon  the  farcical  nature 
of  this  "investigation."  The  inspector  was 
almost  openly  against  us  from  the  start,  and 
the  upshot  of  the  affair  was  that  I  was 
shortly  offered  a  transfer.  The  agent  could 
not  be  dislodged,  and  my  position  had  be 
come  impossible.  The  superintendent  of 
the  boarding  school,  a  clergyman,  and  one  or 
two  others  who  had  fought  on  our  side  were 
also  forced  to  leave.  We  had  many  other 
warm  sympathizers  who  could  not  speak 
out  without  risking  their  livelihood. 

We  declined  to  accept  the  compromise, 
being  utterly  disillusioned  and  disgusted 
with  these  revelations  of  Government  mis 
management  in  the  field,  and  realizing  the 
helplessness  of  the  best-equipped  Indians 
134 


War  with  the  Politicians 

to  secure  a  fair  deal  for  their  people.  Later 
experience,  both  my  own  and  that  of  others, 
has  confirmed  me  in  this  view.  Had  it  not 
been  for  strong  friends  in  the  East  and  on  the 
press,  and  the  unusual  boldness  and  disregard 
of  personal  considerations  with  which  we 
had  conducted  the  fight,  I  could  not  have 
lasted  a  month.  All  other  means  failing, 
these  men  will  not  hesitate  to  manufacture 
evidence  against  a  man's,  or  a  woman's, 
personal  reputation  in  order  to  attain  their 
ends. 

It  was  a  great  disappointment  to  us  both 
to  give  up  our  plans  of  work  and  our  first 
home,  to  which  we  had  devoted  much  loving 
thought  and  most  of  our  little  means;  but 
it  seemed  to  us  then  the  only  thing  to  do. 
We  had  not  the  heart  to  begin  the  same  thing 
over  again  elsewhere.  I  resigned  my  posi 
tion  in  the  Indian  service,  and  removed  with 
my  family  to  the  city  of  St.  Paul,  where  I 
proposed  to  enter  upon  the  independent 
practice  of  medicine. 


135 


IX 


CIVILIZATION  AS  PREACHED  AND 
PRACTISED 

A  FTER  thirty  years  of  exile  from  the 
-**•  land  of  my  nativity  and  the  home  of 
my  ancestors,  I  came  back  to  Minnesota 
in  1893.  My  mother  was  born  on  the  shores 
of  Lake  Harriet;  my  great-grandfather's 
village  is  now  a  part  of  the  beautiful  park 
system  of  the  city  of  Minneapolis. 

I  came  to  St.  Paul  with  very  little  money, 
for  one  can  not  save  much  out  of  one  hundred 
dollars  a  month,  and  we  had  been  compelled 
to  sacrifice  nearly  all  that  we  had  spent  on 
our  little  home.  It  was  midwinter,  and  our 
baby  daughter  was  only  eight  months  old ; 
but  our  courage  was  good  nevertheless.  I 
had  to  wait  for  the  regular  state  medical 
examination  before  being  admitted  to 
practice,  as  Minnesota  was  one  of  the  first 
states  to  pass  such  a  law,  and  the  examina- 
136 


Civilization  as  Preached  and  Practised 

tions  were  searching  and  covered  three 
days'  time.  If  I  remember  rightly,  there 
were  some  forty-five  applicants  who  took 
them  with  me,  and  I  was  told  that  nearly 
half  of  them  failed  to  pass.  It  was  especially 
hard  on  country  practitioners  who  had  prac 
tised  successfully  for  many  years,  but  were 
weak  in  theory  of  medicine  along  certain 
lines. 

Although  a  young  couple  in  a  strange  city, 
we  were  cordially  received  socially,  and 
while  seriously  handicapped  by  lack  of 
means,  we  had  determined  to  win  out.  I 
opened  an  office,  hung  out  my  sign,  and 
waited  for  patients.  It  was  the  hardest 
work  I  had  ever  done !  Most  of  the  time 
we  were  forced  to  board  for  the  sake  of 
economy,  and  were  hard  put  to  it  to  meet 
office  rent  and  our  modest  living  expenses. 
At  this  period  I  was  peculiarly  tried  with 
various  temptations,  by  yielding  to  which  it 
seemed  that  I  could  easily  relieve  myself  L(/ 
from  financial  strain.  I  was  persistently  j  t 
solicited  for  illegal  practice,  and  this  by  j 
persons  who  were  not  only  intelligent,  but 
apparently  of  good  social  standing.  In 
137 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

their  fear  of  exposure,  they  were  ready  to  go 
to  large  expense,  and  were  astonished  when 
I  refused  to  consider  anything  of  the  sort. 
A  large  number  came  to  me  for  Indian  medi 
cine  and  treatment.  I  told  them,  of  course, 
that  I  had  no  such  medicine.  Again,  one 
of  the  best  known  "doctors"  of  this  class 
in  the  Northwest  invited  me  to  go  into 
partnership  with  him.  Finally,  a  prominent 
business  man  of  St.  Paul  offered  to  back  me 
up  financially  if  I  would  put  up  an  "Indian 
medicine"  under  my  own  name,  assuring  me 
that  there  was  "a  fortune  in  it." 

To  be  sure,  I  had  been  bitterly  disappointed 
in  the  character  of  the  United  States  army 
and  the  honor  of  Government  officials.  Still, 
I  had  seen  the  better  side  of  civilization, 
and  I  determined  that  the  good  men  and 
women  who  had  helped  me  should  not  be 
betrayed.  The  Christ  ideal  might  be  radical, 
visionary,  even  impractical,  as  judged  in  the 
light  of  my  later  experiences;  it  still  seemed 
to  me  logical,  and  in  line  with  most  of  my 
Indian  training.  My  heart  was  still  strong, 
and  I  had  the  continual  inspiration  of  a 
brave  comrade  at  my  side. 
138 


Civilization  as  Preached  and  Practised 

With  all  the  rest,  I  was  deeply  regretful  of 
the  work  that  I  had  left  behind.  I  could 
not  help  thinking  that  if  the  President  knew, 
if  the  good  people  of  this  country  knew,  of 
the  wrong,  it  would  yet  be  righted.  I  had 
not  seen  half  of  the  savagery  of  civilization ! 
While  I  had  plenty  of  leisure,  I  began  to 
put  upon  paper  some  of  my  earliest  rec 
ollections,  with  the  thought  that  our  chil 
dren  might  some  day  like  to  read  of  that 
wilderness  life.  When  my  wife  discovered 
what  I  had  written,  she  insisted  upon  send 
ing  it  to  St.  Nicholas.  Much  to  my  surprise, 
the  sketches  were  immediately  accepted  and 
appeared  during  the  following  year.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  my  first  book,  "Indian 
Boyhood,"  which  was  not  completed  until 
several  years  later. 

We  were  slowly  gaining  ground,  when  one 
day  a  stranger  called  on  me  in  my  office. 
He  was,  I  learned,  one  of  the  field  secretaries 
of  the  International  Committee  of  Y.  M. 
C.  A.,  and  had  apparently  called  to  discuss 
the  feasibility  of  extending  this  movement 
among  the  Indians.  After  we  had  talked 
for  some  time,  he  broached  the  plan  of  putting 
139 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

a  man  into  the  Indian  field,  and  ended  by 
urging  me  to  consider  taking  up  the  work. 
My  first  thought  was  that  it  was  out  of  the 
question  to  sacrifice  my  profession  and 
practice  at  this  juncture,  when  I  was  just 
getting  a  promising  start.  Then,  too,  I 
doubted  my  fitness  for  religious  work.  He 
still  pressed  me  to  accept,  pointing  out  the 
far-reaching  importance  of  this  new  step, 
and  declared  that  they  had  not  been  able  to 
hear  of  any  one  else  of  my  race  so  well  fitted 
to  undertake  it.  We  took  the  matter  under 
consideration,  and  with  some  reluctance  I 
agreed  to  organize  the  field  if  they  would 
meantime  educate  a  young  Indian  whom  I 
would  name  to  be  my  successor.  I  had  in 
mind  the  thought  that,  when  the  man  I 
had  chosen  should  be  graduated  from  the 
International  Training  School  at  Springfield, 
Massachusetts,  I  could  again  return  to  my 
practice. 

I  selected  Arthur  Tibbetts,  a  Sioux,  who 
was  duly  graduated  in  three  years,  when  I 
resigned  in  his  favor.  I  had  been  unable  to 
keep  an  office  in  St.  Paul,  where  we  made 
our  home,  but  I  carried  my  small  medical 
140 


Civilization  as  Preached  and  Practised 

case  with  me  on  all  my  trips,  and  was  often 
appealed  to  by  the  Indians  for  my  profes 
sional  help.  I  traveled  over  a  large  part 
of  the  western  states  and  in  Canada,  visiting 
the  mission  stations  among  Indians  of  all 
tribes,  and  organizing  young  men's  asso 
ciations  wherever  conditions  permitted.  I 
think  I  organized  some  forty-three  associa 
tions.  This  gave  me  a  fine  opportunity  to 
study  Protestant  missionary  effort  among 
Indians.  I  seriously  considered  the  racial 
attitude  toward  God,  and  almost  uncon 
sciously  reopened  the  book  of  my  early 
religious  training,  asking  myself  how  it 
was  that  our  simple  lives  were  so  imbued 
with  the  spirit  of  worship,  while  much 
church-going  among  white  and  nominally 
Christian  Indians  led  often  to  such  very 
small  results. 

A  new  point  of  view  came  to  me  then  and 
there.  This  latter  was  a  machine-made 
religion.  It  was  supported  by  money,  and 
more  money  could  only  be  asked  for  on  the 
showing  made;  therefore  too  many  of  the 
workers  were  after  quantity  rather  than 
quality  of  religious  experience. 
141 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

I  was  constantly  meeting  with  groups  of 
young  men  of  the  Sioux,  Cheyennes,  Crees, 
Ojibways,  and  others,  in  log  cabins  or  little 
frame  chapels,  and  trying  to  set  before  them 
in  simple  language  the  life  and  character  of 
the  Man  Jesus.  I  was  cordially  received 
everywhere,  and  always  listened  to  with  the 
closest  attention.  Curiously  enough,  even 
among  these  men  who  were  seeking  light  on 
the  white  man's  ideals,  the  racial  philosophy 
emerged  from  time  to  time. 

I  remember  one  old  battle-scarred  warrior 
who  sat  among  the  young  men  got  up  and 
said,  in  substance:  "Why,  we  have  followed 
this  law  you  speak  of  for  untold  ages !  We 
owned  nothing,  because  everything  is  from 
Him.  Food  was  free,  land  free  as  sunshine 
and  rain.  Who  has  changed  all  this?  The 
white  man;  and  yet  he  says  he  is  a  be 
liever  in  God !  He  does  not  seem  to 
inherit  any  of  the  traits  of  his  Father, 
nor  does  he  follow  the  example  set  by  his 
brother  Christ." 

Another  of  the  older  men  had  attentively 
followed  our  Bible  study  and  attended  every 
meeting  for  a  whole  week.  I  finally  called 
142 


Civilization  as  Preached  and  Practised 

upon  him  for  his  views.  After  a  long  silence, 
he  said : 

"I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  this 
Jesus  was  an  Indian.  He  was  opposed  to 
material  acquirement  and  to  great  posses 
sions.  He  was  inclined  to  peace.  He  wras 
as  unpractical  as  any  Indian  and  set  no 
price  upon  his  labor  of  love.  These  are  not 
the  principles  upon  which  the  white  man  has 
founded  his  civilization.  It  is  strange  that 
he  could  not  rise  to  these  simple  principles 
which  were  commonly  observed  among  our 
people." 

These  words  put  the  spell  of  an  uncom 
fortable  silence  upon  our  company,  but  it 
did  not  appear  that  the  old  man  had  in 
tended  any  sarcasm  or  unkindness,  for  after 
a  minute  he  added  that  he  was  glad  we  had 
selected  such  an  unusual  character  for  our 
model. 

At  the  Crow  agency  I  met  a  Scotchman,  a 
missionary  of  fine  type,  who  was  doing  good 
work.  This  man  told  me  a  strange  story 
of  his  conversion.  As  a  young  man,  he  had 
traveled  extensively  in  this  and  other  coun 
tries.  He  spent  one  winter  at  Manitoba, 
143 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

near  an  Indian  reservation,  and  there  he 
met  a  young  Indian  who  had  been  converted 
by  one  of  his  own  tribesmen,  and  was  in 
tensely  interested  in  the  life  of  Christ.  This 
young  man  was  a  constant  reader  in  his 
Indian  Bible,  and  he  talked  of  Christ  so 
eloquently  and  so  movingly  as  to  cause 
serious  thought  on  the  part  of  the  traveler. 
To  make  a  long  story  short,  he  finally  went 
home  to  Scotland  and  studied  for  the  min 
istry,  and  then  returned  to  America  to  enter 
the  field  of  Indian  missions.  It  happened 
that  the  young  Indian  who  made  so  deep 
an  impression  on  his  white  friend  was  my 
own  uncle,  who  had  been  baptized  Joseph 
Eastman. 

My  two  uncles  who  were  in  the  Custer 
fight  lived  in  Canada  from  the  time  of  our 
flight  in  1862,  and  both  died  there.  I  was 
happy  to  be  sent  to  that  part  of  the  country 
in  time  to  see  the  elder  one  alive.  He  had 
been  a  father  to  me  up  to  the  age  of  fifteen, 
and  I  had  not  seen  him  for  over  twenty 
years.  I  found  him  a  farmer,  living  in  a 
Christian  community.  I  had  sent  word  in 
advance  of  my  coming,  and  my  uncle's 
144 


Civilization  as  Preached  and  Practised 

family  had  made  of  it  a  great  occasion.  All 
of  my  old  playmates  were  there.  My  uncle 
was  so  happy  that  tears  welled  up  in  his 
eyes.  "When  we  are  old,"  he  smiled,  "our 
hearts  are  not  strong  in  moments  like  this. 
The  Great  Spirit  has  been  kind  to  let  me 
see  my  boy  again  before  I  die."  The  early 
days  were  recalled  as  we  feasted  together, 
and  all  agreed  that  the  chances  were  I 
should  have  been  killed  before  reaching  the 
age  of  twenty,  if  I  had  remained  among 
them ;  for,  said  they,  I  was  very  anxious 
to  emulate  my  uncle,  who  had  been  a  warrior 
of  great  reputation.  Afterward  I  visited  the 
grave  of  my  grandmother,  whose  devotion 
had  meant  so  much  to  me  as  a  motherless 
child.  This  was  one  of  the  great  moments 
of  my  life. 

Throughout  this  period  of  my  work  I  was 
happy,  being  unhampered  by  official  red 
tape  in  the  effort  to  improve  conditions 
among  my  people.  The  Superintendent  of 
Indian  Affairs  in  Manitoba  was  very  kind 
and  gave  me  every  facility  to  go  among  the 
Indians.  He  asked  me  to  make  a  compara 
tive  report  on  their  condition  on  both  sides 
145 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

of  the  border,  but  this  I  declined  to  under 
take,  unwilling  to  prejudice  the  Government 
officials  under  whom  I  must  carry  on  my 
work  in  the  United  States. 

Another  trip  took  me  among  the  Ojibways, 
who  used  to  take  many  a  Sioux  scalp,  while 
we  prized  an  eagle  feather  earned  in  battle 
with  them.  But  those  who  had  actually 
engaged  in  warlike  exploits  were  now  old  and 
much  inclined  toward  a  peaceful  life.  I 
met  some  very  able  native  preachers  among 
them.  I  also  visited  for  the  first  time  the 
"Five  Civilized  Tribes"  of  the  Indian  Ter 
ritory,  now  the  state  of  Oklahoma.  As  is 
well  known,  these  people  intermarried  largely 
among  the  whites,  and  had  their  own  govern 
ments,  schools,  and  thriving  towns.  When 
I  appeared  at  Tahlequah,  the  Cherokee 
capital,  the  Senate  took  a  recess  in  honor  of 
their  Sioux  visitor.  At  Bacone  College  I 
addressed  the  students,  and  at  the  Cherokee 
male  and  female  seminaries.  It  was  an 
odd  coincidence  that  at  the  latter  school  I 
found  one  of  the  young  ladies  in  the  act  of 
reading  an  essay  on  my  wife,  Elaine  Goodale 
Eastman ! 

146 


Civilization  as  Preached  and  Practised 

Among  other  duties  of  my  position,  I  was 
expected  to  make  occasional  speaking  trips 
through  the  East  to  arouse  interest  in  the 
work,  and  it  thus  happened  that  I  addressed 
large  audiences  in  Chicago,  New  York, 
Boston,  and  at  Lake  Mohonk.  I  was  taken 
by  slum  and  settlement  workers  to  visit  the 
slums  and  dives  of  the  cities,  which  gave 
another  shock  to  my  ideals  of  "Christian 
civilization."  Of  course,  I  had  seen  some 
thing  of  the  poorer  parts  of  Boston  during 
my  medical  course,  but  not  at  night,  and 
not  in  a  way  to  realize  the  horror  and 
wretchedness  of  it  as  I  did  now.  To  be 
sure,  I  had  been  taught  even  as  a  child  that 
there  are  always  some  evil  minded  men  in 
every  nation,  and  we  knew  well  what  it  is 
to  endure  physical  hardship,  but  our  poor 
lost  nothing  of  their  self-respect  and  dignity. 
Our  great  men  not  only  divided  their  last 
kettle  of  food  with  a  neighbor,  but  if  great 
grief  should  come  to  them,  such  as  the  death 
of  child  or  wife,  they  would  voluntarily  give 
away  their  few  possessions  and  begin  life 

Iover  again  in  token   of  their  sorrow.     We 
could  not  conceive  of  the  extremes  of  luxury 
147 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

and  misery  existing  thus  side  by  side,  for  it 
was  common  observation  with  us  that  the 
coarse    weeds,    if    permitted    to    grow,    will 
choke  out  the  more  delicate  flowers.     These 
P   things  troubled  me  very  much;    yet  I  still 
I    held  before  my  race  the  highest,  and  as  y4t 
\   unattained,  ideals  of  the  white  man. 
\      One  of  the  strongest  rebukes  I  ever  re 
ceived  from  an  Indian  for  my  acceptance  of 
these  ideals  and  philosophy  was  administered 
by  an  old  chief  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribe  in 
Iowa.     I  was  invited  to  visit  them  by  the 
churches  of  Toledo  and  Tama  City,  which 
were  much  concerned  by  the  absolute  refusal 
of  this  small  tribe  to  accept  civilization  and 
Christianity.     I    surmise    that    these    good 
people  hoped  to  use  me  as  an  example  of  the 
benefits  of  education  for  the  Indian. 

I  was  kindly  received  at  their  village,  and 
made,  as  I  thought,  a  pretty  good  speech, 
emphasizing  the  necessity  of  educating  their 
children,  and  urging  their  acceptance  of  the 
Christian  religion.  The  old  chief  rose  to 
answer.  He  was  glad  that  I  had  come  to 
visit  them.  He  was  also  glad  that  I  was 
apparently  satisfied  with  the  white  man's 
148 


Civilization  as  Preached  and  Practised 

religion  and  his  civilization.  As  for  them, 
he  said,  neither  of  these  had  seemed  good 
to  them.  The  white  man  had  showed 
neither  respect  for  nature  nor  reverence 
toward  God,  but,  he  thought,  tried  to  buy 
God  with  the  by-products  of  nature.  He 
tried  to  buy  his  way  into  heaven,  but  he  did 
not  even  know  where  heaven  is. 

"As  for  us,"  he  concluded,  "we  shall  still 
follow  the  old  trail.  If  you  should  live  long, 
and  some  day  the  Great  Spirit  shall  permit 
you  to  visit  us  again,  you  will  find  us  still 
Indians,  eating  with  wooden  spoons  out  of 
bowls  of  wood.  I  have  done." 

I  was  even  more  impressed  a  few  minutes 
later,  when  one  of  his  people  handed  me  my 
pocket  book  containing  my  railway  tickets 
and  a  considerable  sum  of  money.  I  had 
not  even  missed  it !  I  said  to  the  state 
missionary  who  was  at  my  side,  "Better  let 
these  Indians  alone  !  If  I  had  lost  my  money 
in  the  streets  of  your  Christian  city,  I  should 
probably  have  never  seen  it  again." 

My  effort  was  to  make  the  Indian  feel  that 
Christianity  is  not  at  fault  for  the  white 
man's  sins,  but  rather  the  lack  of  it,  and  I 
149 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

freely  admitted  that  this  nation  is  not 
Christian,  but  declared  that  the  Christians 
in  it  are  trying  to  make  it  so.  I  found  the 
facts  and  the  logic  of  them  often  hard  to 
dispute,  but  was  partly  consoled  by  the 
wonderful  opportunity  to  come  into  close 
contact  with  the  racial  mind,  and  to  refresh 
my  understanding  of  the  philosophy  in 
which  I  had  been  trained,  but  which  had 
been  overlaid  and  superseded  by  a  college 
education.  I  do  not  know  how  much  good 
I  accomplished,  but  I  did  my  best. 


150 


X 

AT  THE  NATION'S  CAPITAL 

TV/TY  work  for  the  International  Com- 
•^  •*•  mittee  of  Young  Men's  Christian 
Associations  brought  me  into  close  associa 
tion  with  some  of.  the  best  products  of 
American  civilization.  I  believe  that  such 
men  as  Richard  Morse,  John  R.  Mott,  Wilbur 
Messer,  Charles  Ober  and  his  brother,  and 
others,  have  through  their  organization  and 
personal  influence  contributed  vitally  to  the 
stability  and  well-being  of  the  nation. 
Among  the  men  on  the  International  Com 
mittee  whom  I  met  at  this  time  and  who  gave 
me  a  strong  impression  of  what  they  stood 
for,  were  Colonel  John  J.  McCook,  David 
Murray,  Thomas  Cochrane,  and  Cornelius  U 
Vanderbilt.  I  have  said  some  hard  things 
of  American  Christianity,  but  in  these  I 
referred  to  the  nation  as  a  whole  and  to  the 
majority  of  its  people,  not  to  individual 
151 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

Christians.  Had  I  not  known  some  such, 
I  should  long  ago  have  gone  back  to  the 
woods. 

I  wished  very  much  to  resume  my  pro 
fession  of  medicine,  but  I  was  as  far  as  ever 
from  having  the  capital  for  a  start,  and  we 
had  now  three  children.  At  this  juncture, 
I  was  confronted  by  what  seemed  a  hopeful 
opportunity.  Some  of  the  leading  men  of 
the  Sioux,  among  them  my  own  brother, 
Rev.  John  Eastman,  came  to  me  for  a  con 
sultation.  They  argued  that  I  was  the  man 
of  their  tribe  best  fitted  to  look  after  their 
interests  at  Washington.  They  had  begun 
to  realize  that  certain  of  these  interests 
were  of  great  importance,  involving  millions 
of  dollars.  Although  not  a  lawyer,  they 
gave  me  power  of  attorney  to  act  for  them  in 
behalf  of  these  claims,  and  to  appear  as 
their  representative  before  the  Indian  Bureau, 
the  President,  and  Congress. 

After  signing  the  necessary  papers,  I  went 
to  Washington,  where  I  urged  our  rights 
throughout  two  sessions  and  most  of  a  third, 
while  during  the  summers  I  still  traveled 
among  the  Sioux.  I  learned  that  scarcely 
152 


OIIIYESA  THE  SECOND,  AT   FIVE   YEARS  OF  AGE,  1903. 


At  the  Nation's  Capital 

one  of  our  treaties  with  the  United  States 
had  been  carried  out  in  good  faith  in  all  of 
its  provisions.  After  the  early  friendship 
treaties  which  involved  no  cession  of  land, 
the  first  was  signed  in  1824.  By  this  agree 
ment  the  Sioux  gave  up  a  long  strip  of  land 
lying  along  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi, 
and  including  some  of  northern  Missouri 
and  eastern  Iowa.  Out  of  the  proceeds, 
we  paid  several  thousand  dollars  to  the 
Iowa  and  Otoe  Indians  who  inhabited  this 
country  conjointly  with  us.  Next  came  the 
treaty  ratified  in  1837,  by  which  we  parted 
with  all  the  territory  lying  in  the  southern 
part  of  Wisconsin,  southeastern  Minnesota, 
and  northeastern  Iowa.  For  this  vast  do 
main  the  Government  gave  us  a  few  thousand 
dollars  in  money  and  goods,  together  with 
many  promises,  and  established  for  us  a  trust 
fund  of  three  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
upon  which  interest  at  five  per  cent  was  to 
be  paid  "forever."  This  treaty  affected 
only  certain  bands  of  the  Sioux. 

In  1851,  we  ceded  another  large  tract  in 
Iowa  and  Minnesota,  including  some  of  the 
best  agricultural  lands  in  the  United  States, 
153 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

and  for  this  we  were  to  receive  ten  cents  an 
acre.  Two  large  trust  funds  were  established 
for  the  four  bands  interested,  on  which  inter 
est  at  five  per  cent  was  to  be  paid  annually 
for  fifty  years.  In  addition,  the  Government 
agreed  to  furnish  schools,  farmers,  black 
smith  shops,  etc.  for  the  civilization  of  the 
Sioux.  Only  nine  annual  payments  had 
been  made  when  there  was  failure  to  meet 
them  for  two  successive  years.  Much  of 
our  game  had  disappeared;  the  people 
were  starving;  and  this  state  of  affairs, 
together  with  other  frauds  on  the  part  of 
Government  officials  and  Indian  traders, 
brought  on  the  frightful  "Minnesota  massa 
cre"  in  1862.  After  this  tragedy,  many  of 
the  Sioux  fled  into  Canada,  and  the  remnant 
were  moved  out  of  the  state  and  on  to  a  new 
reservation  in  Nebraska.  Furthermore,  the 
remaining  annuities  due  them  under  the 
treaty  were  arbitrarily  confiscated  as  a 
"punishment"  for  the  uprising.  It  was  the 
claim  for  these  lost  annuities,  in  particular, 
together  with  some  minor  matters,  that  the 
Indians  now  desired  to  have  adjusted,  and 
for  which  they  sent  me  to  the  capital. 
154 


At  the  Nation's  Capital 

Now  for  the  first  time  I  seriously  studied 
the  machinery  of  government,  and  before  I 
knew  it,  I  was  a  lobbyist.  I  came  to  Wash 
ington  with  a  great  respect  for  our  public 
men  and  institutions.  Although  I  had  had 
some  disillusionizing  experiences  with  the 
lower  type  of  political  henchmen  on  the 
reservations,  I  reasoned  that  it  was  because 
they  were  almost  beyond  the  pale  of  civiliza 
tion  and  clothed  with  supreme  authority 
over  a  helpless  and  ignorant  people,  that 
they  dared  do  the  things  they  did.  Under 
the  very  eye  of  the  law  and  of  society,  I 
thought,  this  could  scarcely  be  tolerated.  I 
was  confident  that  a  fair  hearing  would  be 
granted,  and  our  wrongs  corrected  without 
undue  delay.  I  had  overmuch  faith  in  the 
civilized  ideal,  and  I  was  again  disappointed. 

I  made  up  my  mind  at  the  start  that  I 
would  keep  aloof  from  the  shyster  lawyers, 
and  indeed  I  did  not  expect  to  need  any 
legal  help  until  the  matter  should  come  before 
the  Court  of  Claims,  which  could  not  be  until 
Congress  had  acted  upon  it. 

At  that  time  —  and  I  am  told  that  it  is  much 
the  same  now  —  an  Indian  could  not  do  busi- 
155 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

ness  with  the  Department  through  his  attor 
ney.  The  officials  received  me  courteously 
enough,  and  assured  me  that  the  matters 
I  spoke  of  should  be  attended  to,  but  as 
soon  as  my  back  was  turned,  they  pigeon 
holed  them.  After  waiting  patiently,  I 
would  resort  to  the  plan  of  getting  one  of 
the  Massachusetts  Senators,  who  were  my 
friends,  to  ask  for  the  papers  in  the  case, 
and  this  was  generally  effective.  The 
Bureau  chiefs  soon  learned  that  I  had 
studied  our  treaty  agreements  and  had 
some  ground  for  any  request  that  I  might 
make.  Naturally  enough,  every  North 
western  Indian  who  came  to  Washington 
desired  to  consult  me,  and  many  of  them 
had  come  on  account  of  personal  grievances 
which  I  could  not  take  up.  Complaints  of 
every  description  came  to  my  ear,  not  from 
Indians  alone,  as  some  were  from  earnest 
white  men  and  women  who  had  served 
among  the  Indians  and  had  come  up  against 
official  graft  or  abuses.  I  could  not  help 
them  much,  and  had  to  stick  pretty  closely 
to  my  main  business. 

I  was  soon  haunted  and  pestered  by  minor 
156 


At  the  Nation's  Capital 

politicians  and  grafters,  each  of  whom 
claimed  that  he  was  the  right-hand  man  of 
this  or  that  congressman,  and  that  my  meas 
ure  could  not  pass  unless  I  had  the  vote  of 
"his"  man.  Of  course,  he  expected  some 
thing  in  exchange  for  that  vote,  or  rather 
the  promise  of  it.  Armed  with  a  letter  of 
introduction  from  one  of  my  staunch  eastern 
senatorial  friends,  I  would  approach  a  legis 
lator  who  was  a  stranger  to  me,  in  the  hope 
of  being  allowed  to  explain  to  him  the  pur 
port  of  our  measure.  He  would  listen  a 
while  and  perhaps  refer  me  to  some  one  else. 
I  would  call  on  the  man  he  named,  and  to 
my  disgust  be  met  with  a  demand  for  a 
liberal  percentage  on  the  whole  amount  to 
be  recovered.  If  I  refused  to  listen  to  this 
proposal,  I  would  soon  find  the  legislator  in 
question  "drumming  up"  some  objection 
to  the  bill,  and  these  tactics  would  be  kept 
up  until  we  yielded,  or  made  some  sort  of 
compromise.  My  brother  John  was  with  me 
in  this  work.  He  is  a  fine  character-reader, 
and  would  often  say  to  me  on  leaving  some 
one's  office,  "Do  not  trust  that  man;  he  is 
dishonest;  he  will  not  keep  his  word."  I 
157 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

found  after  many  months  of  effort,  that 
political  and  personal  feuds  in  Congress 
persistently  delayed  measures  which  I  had 
looked  upon  as  only  common  justice;  and 
two  of  the  injured  bands  have  not  received 
their  dues  to  this  day. 

I  appeared  from  time  to  time  before  both 
House  and  Senate  committees  on  Indian 
Affairs,  and  a  few  cases  I  carried  to  the 
President.  In  this  way  I  have  had  personal 
relations  with  four  Presidents  of  the  United 
States,  Harrison,  Cleveland,  McKinley,  and 
Roosevelt.  At  one  time  I  appeared  before 
the  committee  of  which  Senator  Allison  of 
Iowa  was  chairman,  on  the  question  of 
allowing  the  Sisseton  Sioux  the  privilege  of 
leasing  their  unused  allotments  to  neigh 
boring  farmers,  without  first  referring  the 
agreements  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior. 
The  point  of  the  request  was  that  the  red 
tape  and  long  delays  that  seem  to  be  in 
separable  from  the  system,  greatly  handi 
capped  friendly  and  honest  white  farmers 
in  their  dealings  with  the  Indians,  and,  as  a 
result,  much  land  lay  idle  and  unbroken. 

Some  one  had  circulated  a  rumor  that  this 
158 


At  the  Nation's  Capital 

measure  was  fathered  by  one  of  the  South 
Dakota  senators,  with  the  object  of  securing 
some  fine  Indian  lands  for  his  constituents. 
As  soon  as  I  heard  of  this,  I  asked  for  a  hearing, 
which  was  granted,  and  I  told  the  committee 
that  this  was  the  Indians'  own  bill.  "We 
desire  to  learn  business  methods,"  I  said, 
"and  we  can  only  do  this  by  handling  our 
own  property.  You  learn  by  experience  to 
manage  your  business.  How  are  we  Indians 
to  learn  if  you  take  from  us  the  wisdom  that 
is  born  of  mistakes,  and  leave  us  to  suffer 
the  stings  of  robbery  and  deception,  with 
no  opportunity  to  guard  against  its  recur 
rence?  I  know  that  some  will  misuse  this 
privilege,  and  some  will  be  defrauded,  but 
the  experiment  will  be  worth  all  it  costs." 
Instead  of  asking  me  further  questions  upon 
the  bill,  they  asked:  "Where  did  you  go  to 
school  ?  Why  are  there  not  more  Indians 
like  you?" 

As  I  have  said,  nearly  every  Indian  delega 
tion  that  came  to  the  capital  in  those  days  — 
and  they  were  many  —  appealed  to  me  for 
advice,  and  often  had  me  go  over  their 
business  with  them  before  presenting  it. 
159 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

I  was  sometimes  with  them  when  they  had 
secured  their  hearing  before  the  Indian 
Commissioner  or  the  committees  of  Congress, 
and  in  this  way  I  heard  some  interesting 
speeches.  The  Ojibways  have  much  valu 
able  pine  land,  aggregating  millions  of  dollars. 
Congress  had  passed  an  act  authorizing  a 
special  commissioner  to  dispose  of  the  lumber 
for  the  Indians'  benefit,  but  the  new  man  had 
not  been  long  in  office  when  it  appeared 
that  he  was  in  with  large  lumber  interests. 
There  was  general  complaint,  but  as  usual, 
the  Indians  were  only  laughed  at,  for  the 
official  was  well  entrenched  behind  the 
influence  of  the  lumber  kings,  and  of  his 
political  party. 

At  last  the  Ojibways  succeeded  in  bringing 
the  matter  before  the  House  committee  on 
Indian  affairs,  of  which  James  Sherman  of 
New  York  was  chairman.  The  chief  of 
the  delegation  addressed  the  committee 
somewhat  as  follows : 

"You  are  very  wise  men,  since  to  you 
this  great  nation  entrusts  the  duty  of  making 
laws  for  the  whole  people.  Because  of  this, 
we  have  trusted  you,  and  have  hitherto 
160 


At  the  Nation's  Capital 

respected  the  men  whom  you  have  sent  to 
manage  our  affairs.  You  recently  sent  one 
who  was  formerly  of  your  number  to  sell 
our  pines,  and  he  is  paid  with  our  money, 
ten  thousand  dollars  a  year.  It  has  been 
proved  that  he  receives  money  from  the 
lumber  men.  He  has  been  underselling  all 
others.  We  pray  you  take  him  away ! 
Every  day  that  you  allow  him  to  stay,  much 
money  melts  away,  and  great  forests  fall  in 
thunder!" 

Many  good  speeches  lost  their  effect  be 
cause  of  th^failure  of  the  uneducated  inter 
preter  to  render  them  intelligently,  but  in 
this  instance  a  fine  linguist  interpreted  for 
the  chief,  the  Rev.  James  Gilfillan,  for 
many  years  an  Episcopal  missionary  among 
the  O  jib  ways  and  well  acquainted  with 
their  language  and  ways. 

The  old  men  often  amused  me  by  their 
shrewd  comments  upon  our  public  men. 
"Old  Tom"  Beveredge  was  the  Indians' 
hotel-keeper.  They  all  knew  him,  and  his 
house  was  the  regular  rendezvous.  Some 
Sioux  chiefs  who  had  been  to  call  on  President 
Harrison  thus  characterized  him  : 
161 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

Said  Young  Man  Afraid  of  his  Horses : 
"He  is  a  man  of  the  old  trail;  he  will  never 
make  a  new  one ! " 

White  Ghost  said:  "There  is  strong  reli 
gious  principle  in  him." 

Then  American  Horse  spoke  up.  "The 
missionaries  tell  us  that  a  man  cannot  have 
two  masters ;  then  how  can  he  be  a  religious 
man  and  a  politician  at  the  same  time?" 

An  old  chief  said  of  President  McKinley : 
"I  never  knew  a  white  man  show  so  much 
love  for  mother  and  wife."  "He  has  a  bigger 
heart  than  most  white  men,"  declared  Little- 
fish,  "and  this  is  unfortunate  for  him.  The 
white  man  is  a  man  of  business,  and  has  no 
use  for  a  heart." 

One  day,  I  found  a  number  of  the  chiefs  in 
the  Senate  gallery.  They  observed  closely 
the  faces  and  bearing  of  the  legislators  and 
then  gave  their  verdict.  One  man  they  com 
pared  to  a  fish.  Another  had  not  the  atti 
tude  of  a  true  man ;  that  is,  he  held  to  a  pose. 
Senator  Morgan  of  Alabama  they  called  a 
great  councillor.  Senator  Hoar  they  esti 
mated  as  a  patriotic  and  just  statesman. 
They  picked  out  Senator  Platt  of  Connecticut 
162 


At  the  Nation's  Capital 

as  being  very  cautious  and  a  diplomat.  They 
had  much  difficulty  in  judging  Senator 
Tillman,  but  on  the  whole  they  considered 
him  to  be  a  fighting  man,  governed  by  his 
emotions  rather  than  his  judgment.  Some 
said,  he  is  a  loyal  friend ;  others  held  the 
reverse.  Senator  Turpie  of  Indiana  they 
took  for  a  preacher,  and  were  pleased  with 
his  air  of  godliness  and  reverence.  Senator 
Frye  of  Maine  they  thought  must  be  a  rarity 
among  white  men  —  honest  to  the  core ! 

It  was  John  Grass  who  declared  that  Grover 
Cleveland  was  the  bravest  white  chief  he 
had  ever  known.  "The  harder  you  press 
him,"  said  he,  "the  stronger  he  stands." 

Theodore  Roosevelt  has  been  well  known 
to  the  Sioux  for  over  twenty-five  years, 
dating  from  the  years  of  his  ranch  life.  He 
was  well  liked  by  them  as  a  rule.  Spotted 
Horse  said  of  him,  "While  he  talked,  I  forgot 
that  he  was  a  white  man." 

During  Mr.  Roosevelt's  second  admin 
istration,  there  was  much  disappointment 
among  the  Indians.  They  had  cherished 
hopes  of  an  honest  deal,  but  things  seemed 
to  be  worse  than  ever.  There  were  more 
163 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

frauds  committed;  and  in  the  way  of  legis 
lation,  the  Burke  bill  was  distinctly  a  back 
ward  step.  The  Dawes  bill  was  framed  in 
the  interest  of  the  Indians ;  the  Burke  bill 
was  for  the  grafters.  Therefore  there  was 
much  discouragement. 

I  have  been  much  interested  in  the  point 
of  view  of  these  older  Indians.  Our  younger 
element  has  now  been  so  thoroughly  drilled 
in  the  motives  and  methods  of  the  white 
man,  at  the  same  time  losing  the  old  mother 
and  family  training  through  being  placed 
in  boarding  school  from  six  years  of  age  on 
ward,  that  they  have  really  become  an 
entirely  different  race. 

During  this  phase  of  my  life,  I  was  brought 
face  to  face  with  a  new  phase  of  progress 
among  my  people  of  the  Dakotas.  Several 
of  their  reservations  were  allotted  in  severalty 
and  the  Indians  became  full  citizens  and 
voters.  As  the  population  of  these  new 
states  was  still  small  and  scattered,  the  new 
voters,  although  few  in  number,  were  of 
distinct  interest  to  the  candidates  for  office, 
and  their  favor  was  eagerly  sought.  In  some 
counties,  the  Indian  vote  held  the  balance  of 
164 


At  the  Nation's  Capital 

power.  Naturally,  they  looked  to  the  best 
educated  men  of  their  race  to  explain  to 
them  the  principles  and  platforms  of  the 
political  parties. 

At  first  they  continued  to  get  together 
according  to  old  custom,  calling  a  council 
and  giving  a  preliminary  feast,  at  which 
two  or  three  steers  would  be  killed  for  a 
barbecue.  After  dinner,  the  tribal  herald 
called  the  men  together  to  hear  the  candi 
date  or  his  representative.  I  took  active 
part  in  one  or  two  campaigns;  but  they 
have  now  a  number  of  able  young  men  who 
expound  politics  to  them  locally. 

Some  persons  imagine  that  we  are  still 
wild  savages,  living  on  the  hunt  or  on  rations ; 
but  as  a  matter  of  fact,  we  Sioux  are  now  fully 
entrenched,  for  all  practical  purposes,  in  the 
warfare  of  civilized  life. 


165 


XI 

BACK  TO  THE  WOODS 

TN  the  summer  of  1910,  I  accepted  a 
•*•  commission  to  search  out  and  purchase 
rare  curios  and  ethnological  specimens  for 
one  of  the  most  important  collections  in 
the  country.  Very  few  genuine  antiques 
are  now  to  be  found  among  Indians  living 
on  reservations,  and  the  wilder  and  more 
scattered  bands  who  still  treasure  them  can 
not  easily  be  induced  to  give  them  up.  My 
method  was  one  of  indirection.  I  would 
visit  for  several  days  in  a  camp  where  I 
knew,  or  had  reason  to  believe,  that  some 
of  the  coveted  articles  were  to  be  found. 
After  I  had  talked  much  with  the  leading 
men,  feasted  them,  and  made  them  pres 
ents,  a  slight  hint  would  often  result  in  the 
chief  or  medicine  man  "presenting"  me  with 
some  object  of  historic  or  ceremonial  interest, 
which  etiquette  would  not  permit  to  be 
166 


Back  to  the  Woods 

"sold,"  and  which  a  white  man  would  prob 
ably  not  have  been  allowed  to  see  at  all. 

Within  the  zone  of  railroads  and  auto 
mobiles  there  is,  I  believe,  only  one  region 
left  in  which  a  few  roving  bands  of  North 
American  Indians  still  hold  civilization  at 
bay.  The  great  inland  seas  of  northern 
Minnesota  and  the  Province  of  Ontario  are 
surrounded  by  almost  impenetrable  jungle, 
the  immense  bogs  called  "muskeggs"  filled 
with  tamaracks,  and  the  higher  land  with 
Norway,  white  and  "jack"  pines,  white  and 
red  cedar,  poplar  and  birch.  The  land  is 
a  paradise  for  moose,  deer  and  bears,  as 
well  as  the  smaller  fur-bearers,  and  the 
glistening  black  waters  are  a  congenial  home 
for  northern  fish  of  all  kinds,  of  which  the 
sturgeon  is  king.  The  waterfowl  breed  there 
in  countless  numbers.  There  are  blueberries 
and  cranberries  in  abundance,  while  the 
staple  cereal  of  that  region,  the  full-flavored 
wild  rice,  is  found  in  the  inland  bays  by 
thousands  of  acres. 

Of  this  miniature  world  of  freedom  and 
plenty  a  few  northern  Ojibways,  a  branch 
of  the  great  Algonquin  race,  are  the  present 
167 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

inhabitants,  living  quite  to  themselves  and 
almost  unconscious  of  the  bare  pathos  of 
their  survival.  Here  the  early  French  traders 
reaped  their  harvest,  and  for  a  century  and  a 
half  the  land  was  under  the  despotic  rule  of 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  A  powerful 
forerunner  of  civilization,  this  company  never 
civilized  the  natives,  who,  moreover,  had 
heard  the  ''Black  Robe"  priests  say  their 
masses  under  the  solemn  shade  of  the  Xor- 
way  pines  upon  their  island  homes,  long 
before  Lewis  and  Clarke  crossed  the  conti 
nent,  and  before  many  of  the  prairie  tribes 
had  so  much  as  looked  upon  the  face  of  the 
white  man.  Fortunately  or  unfortunately, 
the  labyrinth  in  which  they  dwell  has  thus 
far  protected  them  far  more  effectually  than 
any  treaty  rights  could  possibly  do  from 
his  almost  indecent  enterprise. 

I  know  of  no  Indians  within  the  borders  of 
the  United  States,  except  those  of  Leech, 
Cass  and  Red  Lakes  in  Minnesota,  who  still 
sustain  themselves  after  the  old  fashion  by 
hunting,  fishing  and  the  gathering  of  wild 
rice  and  berries.  They  do,  to  be  sure,  have 
a  trifle  of  annuity  money  from  the  sale  of 
168 


Back  to  the  Woods 

their  pine  lands,  and  now  and  then  they  sell 
a  few  trinkets.  Their  permanent  houses 
are  of  logs  or  frame,  but  they  really  do  not 
live  in  them  except  during  the  coldest  part 
of  the  year.  Even  then,  some  of  them  may 
be  found  far  away  from  their  villages,  trap 
ping  for  furs,  which  may  still  be  disposed  of 
at  convenient  points  along  the  Canadian 
border.  They  travel  by  canoe  or  on  foot, 
as  they  own  very  few  horses,  and  there  are 
no  roads  through  the  forest  —  only  narrow 
trails,  deeply  grooved  in  the  virgin  soil. 

The  Leech  Lake  Ojibways,  to  whom  I 
made  my  first  visit,  appear  perfectly  con 
tented  and  irresponsible.  They  have  plenty 
to  eat  of  the  choicest  wild  game,  wild  rice 
and  berries.  The  making  of  maple  sugar  is 
a  leading  industry.  The  largest  band  and 
by  far  the  most  interesting  is  that  which 
inhabits  Bear  Island,  plants  no  gardens, 
will  have  nothing  to  do  with  schools  or 
churches,  and  meets  annually,  as  of  old,  for 
the  "Grand  Medicine  Dance,"  or  sacred 
festival,  invoking  the  protection  and  blessing 
of  the  "Great  Mystery"  for  the  year  to 
come. 

169 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

I  am  a  Sioux,  and  the  Ojibways  were  once 
the  fiercest  of  our  enemies,  yet  I  was  kindly 
welcomed  by  the  principal  chief,  Majigabo, 
who  even  permitted  me  to  witness  the  old 
rites  upon  their  "sacred  ground."  This 
particular  spot,  they  told  me,  had  been  in 
use  for  more  than  forty  years,  and  the 
moose-hide  drum,  stretched  upon  a  cylinder 
of  bass-wood,  was  fully  as  venerable.  The 
dance-hall  was  about  a  hundred  feet  long, 
roofed  with  poles  and  thatch.  In  the  center 
was  a  rude  altar,  and  the  entrance  faced  the 
rising  sun.  While  the  ceremonies  went  on, 
groups  of  young  men  were  sitting  in  the 
shade  and  gambling  with  primitive  dice  — 
small  carved  bones  shaken  in  a  polished  bowl 
of  bird's-eye  maple. 

Majigabo  is  one  of  the  few  Indians  left 
alive  who  has  ventured  to  defy  a  great 
government  with  a  handful  of  savages. 
Only  a  few  years  ago,  Captain  Wilkinson 
was  shot  down  at  the  head  of  his  troop, 
while  advancing  to  frighten  the  Bear  Islanders 
into  obedience.  The  trouble  originated  in 
the  illegal  sale  of  whisky  to  the  Indians. 
One  of  the  tribesmen  was  summoned  to 
170 


Back  to  the  Woods 

Duluth  as  a  witness,  and  at  the  close  of  the 
trial  turned  loose  to  walk  home,  a  distance 
of  over  a  hundred  miles.  The  weather  was 
severe  and  he  reached  his  people  half-starved 
and  sick  from  exposure,  and  the  next  time 
one  was  summoned,  he  not  unnaturally 
refused  to  appear.  After  the  death  of 
Captain  Wilkinson,  no  further  attempt  was 
made  at  coercion. 

"They  can  take  everything  else,  but  they 
must  let  me  and  these  island  people  alone," 
the  chief  said  to  me,  and  I  could  not  but 
sympathize  with  his  attitude.  Only  last 
spring  he  refused  to  allow  the  census  taker 
to  enumerate  his  people. 

The  next  man  I  went  to  see  was  Boggimogi- 
shig.  The  old  war  chief  of  the  Sugar  Point 
band  was  one  of  those  who  most  frequently 
went  against  the  Eastern  Sioux,  and  was 
often  successful.  This  good  fortune  was 
attributed  largely  to  the  influence  of  the 
sacred  war  club,  which  had  been  handed 
down  through  several  generations  of  daunt 
less  leaders.  I  made  use  of  the  old-time 

Indian  etiquette,  as  well as  .oJLall_the  wit 

and  humor  at  my  command,  to  win  a  wel- 
171 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

come,  and  finally  obtained  from  the  old  man 
the  history  and  traditions  of  his  people,  so 
far  as  he  knew  them,  and  even  the  famous 
war  club  itself ! 

At  Red  Lake,  I  found  the  men  just  re 
turned  from  a  successful  moose  hunt,  and 
although  they  greeted  me  kindly,  it  appeared 
that  some  of  the  older  warriors,  recalling 
hand-to-hand  scrimmages  with  my  forbears, 
were  somewhat  embarrassed  by  the  presence 
of  a  Sioux  visitor.  However,  after  I  had 
been  properly  introduced,  and  had  conformed 
with  the  good  old  customs  relating  to  inter 
tribal  meetings,  I  secured  several  things  that 
I  had  come  in  search  of,  and  among  them 
some  very  old  stories.  It  appears  that  a 
battle  was  once  fought  between  Ojibways  and 
Sioux  near  the  mouth  of  the  stream  called 
Battle  Creek,  and  while  the  waters  of  the 
stream  ran  with  blood,  the  color  was  even 
discernible  upon  the  shores  of  the  lake, 
which  has  ever  since  been  known  as  Red 
Lake.  It  was  this  battle,  indeed,  which 
finally  decided  the  question  of  occupancy, 
for  it  is  said  that  although  my  people  suc 
ceeded  for  the  time  in  holding  off  the  Ojib- 


Back  to  the  Woods 

ways,  and  cast  many  of  the  bodies  of  their 
dead  enemies  into  the  river,  they  lost  so 
heavily  themselves  and  became  so  dis 
heartened  that  they  then  left  forever  behind 
them  their  forest  life  and  exchanged  the 
canoe  and  birch-bark  teepee  for  the  prairie 
and  the  buffalo. 

But  it  is  on  Rainy  Lake,  remote  and  soli 
tary,  and  still  further  to  the  north  and  west 
upon  the  equally  lovely  Lake  of  the  Woods, 
that  I  found  the  true  virgin  wilderness,  the 
final  refuge,  as  it  appears,  of  American  big 
game  and  primitive  man.  The  international 
line  at  this  point  is  formed  by  the  Rainy 
River,  lying  deep  in  its  rocky  bed  and 
connecting  the  two  lakes,  both  of  which  are 
adorned  with  thousands  of  exquisite  islands 
of  a  gem-like  freshness  and  beauty.  The 
clear,  black  waters  have  washed,  ground  and 
polished  these  rocky  islets  into  every  imag 
inable  fantastic  shape  and  they  are  all 
carpeted  with  velvety  mosses  in  every  shade 
of  gray  and  green,  and  canopied  with  fairy- 
like  verdure.  In  every  direction  one  is 
beckoned  by  vistas  of  extraordinary  charm. 

These  aboriginal  woodsmen  are  in  type 
173 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

quite  distinct  from  the  Plains  Indians. 
They  are  generally  tall  and  well-propor 
tioned,  of  somewhat  lighter  complexion  than 
their  brethren  to  the  southward,  and  very 
grave  and  reticent.  Their  homes  and  food 
are  practically  those  of  two  centuries  ago, 
the  only  change  observable  being  that  the 
inconvenient  blanket  is  for  the  most  part 
discarded  and  the  men  carry  guns  instead  of 
bows  and  arrows. 

It  was  the  middle  of  August,  the  time  for 
tying  into  bundles  the  wild  rice  straw,  in  the 
great  bays  where  nature  has  so  plentifully 
sown  it.  To  each  family  belong  its  sheaves, 
and  when  the  tying  is  finished,  they  are  apt 
to  linger  in  the  neighborhood,  the  women 
making  sacks  while  the  men  hunt.  A  month 
later  comes  the  harvest.  Two  by  two  they 
go  out  in  canoes,  one  to  paddle,  while  the 
other  seizes  the  bundle  of  rice  straw  and 
strikes  a  few  smart  blows  with  a  stick.  The 
ripe  grain  rattles  into  the  canoe,  which, 
when  half  full,  is  emptied  on  shore,  and  so 
on  until  the  watery  fields  are  cleared. 

I  had  now  to  follow  these  family  groups  to 
their  hidden  resorts,  and  the  sweet  roving 
174 


Back  to  the  Woods 

instinct  of  the  wild  took  forcible  hold  upon 
me  once  more.  I  was  eager  to  realize  for  a 
few  perfect  days  the  old,  wild  life  as  I  knew 
it  in  my  boyhood,  and  I  set  out  with  an 
Ojibway  guide  in  his  birch  canoe,  taking 
with  me  little  that  belonged  to  the  white 
man,  except  his  guns,  fishing  tackle,  knives, 
and  tobacco.  The  guide  carried  some  In 
dian-made  maple  sugar  and  a  sack  of  wild 
rice,  a  packet  of  black  tea  and  a  kettle,  and 
we  had  a  blanket  apiece.  Only  think  of 
pitching  your  tent  upon  a  new  island  every 
day  in  the  year !  Upon  many  a  little  rocky 
terrace,  shaded  by  pine  and  cedar  trees, 
hard  by  a  tiny  harbor  with  its  fleet  of  birchen 
canoes,  the  frail  bark  lodges  stood  about  in 
groups,  looking  as  if  they  had  grown  there. 
Before  each  lodge  there  is  a  fireplace,  and 
near  at  hand  the  women  of  the  family  may 
often  be  seen  making  nets  and  baskets,  or 
cooking  the  simple  meal. 

Early  in  the  summer  mornings  there  is  a 
pleasant  stir  in  camp,  when  they  glide  in 
canoes  over  the  placid  waters,  lifting  their 
nets  full  of  glistening  fish.  Perhaps  the 
sturgeon  net  is  successful ;  then  laughter  and 
175 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

whoops  of  excitement  break  the  stillness, 
for  the  king  of  the  lake  fights  for  his  life 
and  pulls  the  boat  about  vigorously  before 
he  is  finally  knocked  on  the  head  and  towed 
into  camp. 

Up  on  Seine  Bay  the  favorite  sport  was 
hunting  the  loon,  which  scarcely  ever  takes 
to  the  wing,  but  dives  on  being  approached. 
Most  people  would  be  put  to  it  to  guess  in 
which  direction  he  would  reappear,  at  a  dis 
tance  of  from  a  quarter  to  half  a  mile,  but 
these  sons  of  nature  have  learned  his  secret. 
As  soon  as  he  goes  under,  the  canoes  race 
for  a  certain  point,  and  invariably  the  bird 
comes  up  among  them.  He  is  greeted  with 
derisive  laughter  and  cheers  and  immediately 
dives  again,  and  the  maneuver  is  repeated 
until  he  is  winded  and  caught.  The  flesh  of 
the  loon  has  a  strong,  fishy  flavor,  but  these 
Indians  are  very  fond  of  it.  With  them  noth 
ing  goes  to  waste ;  all  meat  or  fish  not  needed 
for  immediate  use  is  cut  into  thin  strips  and 
smoked  or  dried;  the  hoofs  of  deer  and 
moose  are  made  into  trinkets,  the  horns  into 
spoons  or  tobacco  boards,  and  the  bones 
pounded  to  boil  out  the  fat,  which  is  pre- 
176 


Back  to  the  Woods 

served  in  dried  bladders  or  bags  of  pelican 
skin. 

At  North  Bay  I  heard  of  a  remarkable  old 
woman,  said  to  be  well  over  ninety  years  of 
age,  the  daughter  of  a  long-time  chief  during 
the  good  old  days.  I  called  at  her  solitary 
birch-bark  teepee,  and  found  her  out,  but 
she  soon  returned  bent  under  a  load  of  bark 
for  making  mats,  with  roots  and  willow  twigs 
for  dye.  She  was  persuaded  to  sit  for  her 
picture  and  even  to  tell  some  old  stories  of 
her  people,  which  she  did  with  much  vivacity. 
There  are  less  than  a  hundred  of  them  left ! 

The  name  given  to  this  ancient  crone  by 
the  lumber-jacks  is  shockingly  irreverent.  It 
is  told  that  when  she  was  a  handsome  young 
woman,  her  father  the  ruling  chief  and  hon 
ored  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  more 
than  one  of  its  employees  came  courting  after 
the  fashion  of  those  days.  But  the  daughter 
of  the  woods  could  not  endure  the  sight  of  a 
white  man,  with  his  repulsive  hairy  face.  It 
seems  that  one  day,  when  she  was  approached 
by  a  bearded  voyageur,  she  screamed  and 
raised  her  knife,  so  that  the  man  fled,  cursing 
her.  Thereafter,  whenever  she  saw  a  white 
177 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

man,  she  would  innocently  repeat  his  oath, 
until  she  came  to  be  known  among  them  by 
that  name. 

As  we  wound  in  and  out  of  the  island  laby 
rinth,  new  beauties  met  us  at  every  turn. 
At  one  time  there  were  not  less  than  eight 
moose  in  sight,  and  the  deer  were  plentiful 
and  fearless.  As  we  glided  through  the 
water,  the  Ojibway  repeated  in  his  broken 
dialect  some  of  their  traditions.  We  passed 
"  Massacre  island,"  where,  more  than  a  hun 
dred  years  ago,  some  French  traders  are  said 
to  have  brought  the  "fire  water"  to  a  large 
village  of  innocent  natives,  thinking  thus  to 
buy  their  furs  for  a  trifle.  But  the  Indians, 
when  crazed  with  liquor,  rose  up  and  killed 
them  all  instead,  even  a  Catholic  priest 
who  was  unfortunately  of  the  party.  Since 
that  day,  the  spirit  of  the  "Black  Robe", 
who  died  praying,  is  believed  to  haunt  the 
deserted  island,  and  no  Indian  ever  sets 
foot  there. 

Every   day  it  became  harder  for  me  to 

leave  the  woods.     Finally  I  took  passage  on 

a  gasoline  launch  that  plied  between  a  lumber 

camp   and   the   little   city   of   International 

178 


Back  to  the  Woods 

Falls.  The  air  had  been  dense  with  smoke 
all  day  because  of  immense  forest  fires  on 
both  sides  of  the  lake.  As  it  grew  dark  we 
entered  a  narrow  channel  between  the  islands, 
when  the  wind  suddenly  rose,  and  the  pilot 
feared  lest  we  should  be  blown  from  the 
only  known  course,  for  much  of  the  lake  is 
not  charted.  He  swung  about  for  the  nearest 
islands,  a  cluster  of  three,  knowing  that  only 
on  one  side  of  one  of  these  was  it  possible  to 
land.  It  was  dark  as  pitch  and  raining  hard 
when  we  were  struck  broad  side  on  by  a 
heavy  wave ;  the  windows  were  knocked  out 
and  all  the  lights  extinguished. 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  jump  and 
swim  for  it,  and  it  seems  almost  a  miracle 
that  we  all  landed  safely.  There  were  just 
four  of  us  playing  Robinson  Crusoe  on  a 
lovely  little  isle  of  about  an  acre  in  extent  — 
too  small  to  harbor  any  game.  The  boat 
was  gone  with  all  its  freight,  except  a  few 
things  that  drifted  ashore.  Here  we  re 
mained  for  two  nights  and  a  day  before  we 
were  discovered. 

This  accident  delayed  me  a  day  or  two,  as 
I  had  to  buy  another  canoe  and  provisions 
179 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

for  my  last  plunge  into  the  wilderness.  It 
carried  me  up  Seine  Bay  and  into  the  Seine 
River.  One  day  we  came  unexpectedly 
upon  a  little  Indian  village  of  neatly  made 
bark  houses  in  a  perfect  state  of  preservation, 
but  to  my  surprise  it  was  uninhabited. 
What  was  still  stranger,  I  found  that  whoever 
lived  there  had  left  all  their  goods  behind, 
dishes,  clothing,  even  bundles  of  furs  all 
moth-eaten  and  ruined.  We  reached  there 
late  in  the  afternoon,  and  I  immediately  de 
cided  to  stay  the  night.  After  supper,  the 
guide  told  me  that  a  band  of  Indians  had 
lived  here  every  winter  for  several  years, 
hunting  for  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  One 
winter  many  of  their  children  were  attacked 
by  a  disease  unknown  to  them,  and  after 
several  had  died,  the  people  fled  in  terror, 
leaving  everything  behind  them.  This 
happened,  he  said,  eleven  years  before. 
While  he  was  talking,  beside  the  fire  we  had 
built  in  the  rude  mud  chimney  of  one  of  the 
deserted  cabins,  in  the  perfectly  still  night, 
it  all  seemed  weird  and  mysterious.  Sud 
denly  we  heard  a  loud  scratching  on  the  bark 
door,  as  if  some  hand  were  feeling  for  the 
180 


Back  to  the  Woods 

latch.  He  stopped  speaking  and  we  looked 
at  one  another.  The  scratching  was  re 
peated.  "  Shall  I  open  the  door  ?  "  I  said.  I 
had  my  hand  on  the  trigger  of  my  Smith  and 
Wesson.  He  put  more  sticks  on  the  fire. 
When  I  got  the  door  open,  there  stood  the 
biggest  turtle  I  have  ever  seen,  raised  upon 
his  hind  feet,  his  eyes  shining,  his  tail  de 
fiantly  lifted,  as  if  to  tell  us  that  he  was  at 
home  there  and  we  were  the  intruders. 


181 


XII 

THE  SOUL  OF  THE  WHITE  MAN 

IV/TY  last  work  under  the  auspices  of  the 
•*"  "*•  Government  was  the  revision  of  the 
Sioux  allotment  rolls,  including  the  deter 
mination  of  family  groups,  and  the  assign 
ment  of  surnames  when  these  were  lacking. 
Originally,  the  Indians  had  no  family  names, 
and  confusion  has  been  worse  confounded  by 
the  admission  to  the  official  rolls  of  vulgar 
nicknames,  incorrect  translations,  and  Eng 
lish  cognomens  injudiciously  bestowed  upon 
children  in  the  various  schools.  Mr.  Hamlin 
Garland  and  Dr.  George  Bird  Grinnell 
interested  themselves  in  this  matter  some 
years  ago,  and  President  Roosevelt  foresaw 
the  difficulties  and  complications  in  the  way 
of  land  inheritance,  hence  my  unique  com 
mission. 

My  method  was  to  select  from  the  personal 
names  of  a  family,  one  which  should  be  rea- 
182 


The  Soul  of  the  White  Man 

sonably  short,  euphonious,  and  easily  pro 
nounced  by  the  white  man  in  the  vernacular ; 
or,  failing  this,  a  short  translation  in  which 
the  essential  meaning  should  be  preserved. 
All  the  brothers,  their  wives  and  children 
were  then  grouped  under  this  as  a  family 
name,  provided  their  consent  could  be  ob 
tained  to  the  arrangement. 

While  fully  appreciating  the  Indian's  view 
point,  I  have  tried  to  convince  him  of  the 
sincerity  of  his  white  friends,  and  that  con 
flicts  between  the  two  races  have  been  due  as 
much  to  mutual  misunderstandings  as  to  the 
selfish  greed  of  the  white  man.  These 
children  of  nature  once  had  faith  in  man  as 
well  as  in  God.  To-day,  they  would  suspect 
even  their  best  friend.  A  "century  of  dis 
honor"  and  abuse  of  their  trust  has  brought 
them  to  this.  Accordingly,  it  was  rumored 
among  them  that  the  revision  of  names  was 
another  cunning  scheme  of  the  white  man 
to  defraud  them  of  the  little  land  still  left 
in  their  possession.  The  older  men  would 
sit  in  my  office  and  watch  my  work  day  after 
day,  before  being  convinced  that  the  under 
taking  was  really  intended  for  their  benefit 
183 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

and  that  of  their  heirs.  Once  satisfied,  they 
were  of  great  assistance,  for  some  of  them 
knew  by  heart  the  family  tree  of  nearly  every 
Indian  in  that  particular  band  for  four  genera 
tions.  Their  memories  are  remarkable,  and 
many  a  fact  of  historic  interest  came  up  in 
the  course  of  our  discussions. 

Such  names  as  "Young  Man  of  whose 
Horses  the  Enemy  is  Afraid",  "He  Kills 
them  on  Horseback",  and  the  like,  while 
highly  regarded  among  us,  are  not  easily 
rendered  into  English  nor  pronounced  in  the 
Dakota,  and  aside  from  such  troubles,  I  had 
many  difficulties  with  questionable  marriages 
and  orphaned  children  whose  ancestry  was 
not  clear.  Then  there  were  cases  of  Indian 
women  who  had  married  United  States  sol 
diers  and  the  children  had  been  taken  away 
from  the  tribe  in  infancy,  but  later  returned 
as  young  men  and  women  to  claim  their 
rights  in  the  tribal  lands. 

I  was  directed  not  to  recognize  a  plurality 
of  wives,  such  as  still  existed  among  a  few 
of  the  older  men.  Old  White  Bull  was  a 
fine  example  of  the  old  type,  and  I  well 
remember  his  answer  when  I  reluctantly 
184 


The  Soul  of  the  White  Man 

informed  him  that  each  man  must  choose 
one  wife  who  should  bear  his  name. 
"What!"  he  exclaimed,  "these  two  women 
are  sisters,  both  of  whom  have  been  my 
wives  for  over  half  a  century.  I  know  the 
way  of  the  white  man ;  he  takes  women  un 
known  to  each  other  and  to  his  law.  These 
two  have  been  faithful  to  me  and  I  have 
been  faithful  to  them.  Their  children  are 
my  children  and  their  grandchildren  are 
mine.  We  are  now  living  together  as  brother 
and  sisters.  All  the  people  know  that  we 
have  been  happy  together,  and  nothing  but 
death  can  separate  us." 

This  work  occupied  me  for  six  years,  and 
gave  me  insight  into  the  relationships  and 
intimate  history  of  thirty  thousand  Sioux. 

My  first  book,  "Indian  Boyhood",  em 
bodying  the  recollections  of  my  wild  life, 
appeared  in  1902,  and  the  favor  with  which 
it  was  received  has  encouraged  me  to  attempt 
a  fuller  expression  of  our  people's  life  from 
the  inside.  The  present  is  the  eighth  that 
I  have  done,  always  with  the  devoted  co 
operation  of  my  wife.  Although  but  one 
book,  "Wigwam  Evenings",  bears  both  our 
185 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

names,  we  have  worked  together,  she  in  the 
little  leisure  remaining  to  the  mother  of  six 
children,  and  I  in  the  intervals  of  lecturing 
and  other  employment.  For  the  past  twelve 
years  our  home  has  been  in  a  New  England 
college  town,  and  our  greatest  personal  con 
cern  the  upbringing  and  education  of  our 
children. 

None  of  my  earlier  friends  who  knew  me 
well  would  ever  have  believed  that  I  was 
destined  to  appear  in  the  role  of  a  public 
speaker !  It  may  be  that  I  shared  the 
native  gift  of  oratory  in  some  degree,  but  I 
had  also  the  Indian  reticence  with  strangers. 
Perhaps  the  one  man  most  responsible  for 
this  phase  of  my  work,  aside  from  cir 
cumstances,  was  Major  James  B.  Pond  of 
New  York  city,  the  famous  lyceum  manager. 
Soon  after  the  publication  of  "Indian  Boy 
hood  ",  I  came  from  South  Dakota  to 
Brooklyn  by  invitation  of  the  Twentieth 
Century  Club  of  that  city,  to  address  them 
on  the  Indian.  Major  Pond  heard  of  this 
and  invited  me  to  luncheon.  He  had  my 
book  with  him,  and  after  a  good  deal  of 
talk,  he  persuaded  me  to  go  on  the  lecture 
186 


The  Soul  of  the  White  Man 

platform  under  his  management.  He  took 
the  most  cordial  interest  in  the  matter,  and 
himself  prepared  the  copy  for  my  first  cir 
cular.  His  untimely  death  during  the  next 
summer  put  a  damper  upon  my  beginning ; 
nevertheless  I  filled  all  the  dates  he  had 
made  for  me,  and  finding  a  growing  demand, 
I  have  continued  in  the  field  ever  since. 

My  chief  object  has  been,  not  to  entertain, 
but  to  present  the  American  Indian  in  his 
true  character  before  Americans.  The  bar 
barous  and  atrocious  character  commonly 
attributed  to  him  has  dated  from  the  transi 
tion  period,  when  the  strong  drink,  powerful 
temptations,  and  commercialism  of  the  white 
man  led  to  deep  demoralization.  Really  it 
was  a  campaign  of  education  on  the  Indian 
and  his  true  place  in  American  history. 

I  have  been,  on  the  whole,  happily  sur 
prised  to  meet  with  so  cordial  a  response. 
Again  and  again  I  have  been  told  by  recog 
nized  thinkers,  "You  present  an  entirely 
new  viewpoint.  We  can  never  again  think 
of  the  Indian  as  we  have  done  before/'  A 
great  psychologist  wrote  me  after  reading 
"The  Soul  of  the  Indian":  "My  God! 
187 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

why  did  we  not  know  these  things  sooner  ?  " 
Many  of  my  hearers  have  admitted  that 
morality  and  spirituality  are  found  to  thrive 
better  under  the  simplest  conditions  than 
in  a  highly  organized  society,  and  that  the 
virtues  are  more  readily  cultivated  where  the 
"struggle  for  existence"  is  merely  a  struggle 
with  the  forces  of  nature,  and  not  with  one's 
fellow-men. 

The  philosophy  of  the  original  American 
was  demonstrably  on  a  high  plane,  his  gift 
of  eloquence,  wit,  humor  and  poetry  is  well 
established;  his  democracy  and  community 
life  was  much  nearer  the  ideal  than  ours 
to-day ;  his  standard  of  honor  and  friendship 
unsurpassed,  and  all  his  faults  are  the  faults 
of  generous  youth. 

It  was  not  until  I  felt  that  I  had  to  a  degree 
established  these  claims,  that  I  consented  to 
appear  on  the  platform  in  our  ancestral  garb 
of  honor.  I  feel  that  I  was  a  pioneer  in  this 
new  line  of  defense  of  the  native  American, 
not  so  much  of  his  rights  in  the  land  as  of 
his  character  and  religion.  I  am  glad  that 
the  drift  is  now  toward  a  better  under 
standing,  and  that  he  is  become  the  ac- 
188 


The  Soul  of  the  White  Man 

knowledged  hero  of  the  Boy  Scouts  and 
Camp  Fire  Girls,  as  well  as  of  many  artists, 
sculptors,  and  sincere  writers. 

I  was  invited  to  represent  the  North 
American  Indian  at  the  First  Universal 
Races  Congress  in  London,  England,  in  1911. 
It  was  a  great  privilege  to  attend  that  gath 
ering  of  distinguished  representatives  of 
53  different  nationalities,  come  together  to 
mutually  acquaint  themselves  with  one  an 
other's  progress  and  racial  ideals.  I  was 
entertained  by  some  well  known  men,  but 
there  was  little  time  for  purely  social  en 
joyment.  What  impressed  me  most  was 
the  perfect  equality  of  the  races,  which 
formed  the  background  of  all  the  dis 
cussions.  It  was  declared  at  the  outset 
that  there  is  no  superior  race,  and  no  in 
ferior,  since  individuals  of  all  races  have 
proved  their  innate  capacity  by  their  stand 
ing  in  the  universities  of  the  world,  and  it 
has  not  seldom  happened  that  men  of  the 
undeveloped  races  have  surpassed  students 
of  the  most  advanced  races  in  scholarship 
and  ability. 

One  little  incident  caused  some  of  the 
189 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

delegates  of  the  Asiatic  peoples  to  approach 
me  with  a  special  friendliness.  I  was  at  a 
committee  meeting  where  the  platform  of 
the  Congress  was  being  drafted,  and  as  the 
first  paragraph  was  read,  I  noticed  that  the 
word  "Christian"  appeared  several  times. 
I  rose  and  said,  "While  I  am  myself  a 
believer  in  the  simple  principles  of  Chris 
tianity,  we  who  are  met  here  are  not  all  of 
that  religion,  and  I  would  suggest  that  we 
substitute  a  term  to  which  we  can  all  sub 
scribe,  since  we  meet  here  not  in  the  name, 
but  in  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  of  universal 
brotherhood."  Several  sprang  up  to  second 
the  motion,  among  them  Mr.  John  Mil- 
holland  and  Dr.  Felix  Adler,  and  as  I  saw 
Mr.  Edwin  D.  Mead  of  Boston  near  by,  I 
began  to  feel  more  at  home.  I  wTas  invited 
by  some  oriental  representatives  present  to 
visit  them  in  their  own  country,  but  as  I 
was  tied  up  with  Chautauqua  engagements, 
I  had  to  take  the  next  boat  for  home. 

A  very  pleasant  occasion  of  my  meeting 

men  and  women  distinguished  in  literature, 

was  the  banquet  given  to  Mark  Twain  on 

his   seventieth  birthday.     Another  interest- 

190 


The  Soul  of  the  White  Man 

ing  meeting  was  the  dinner  given  by  the 
Rocky  Mountain  Club  of  New  York  to  fifteen 
western  governors.  I  believe  I  was  the  only 
speaker  there  who  was  not  a  governor ! 
When  I  addressed  the  Camp  Fire  Club  of 
America,  composed  largely  of  big  game 
hunters  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  I  began 
by  telling  them  that  I  had  slept  with  a 
grizzly  bear  for  three  months,  and  often 
eaten  with  him,  but  had  never  thought  of 
giving  him  away.  They  seemed  to  enter 
into  my  mood ;  and  when  I  went  on  to  tell 
the  old  chief's  story  of  the  beaver  woman 
with  one  hand  (she  had  lost  the  other  in  a 
steel  trap)  and  what  she  and  her  descendants 
did  for  the  tribes  of  men  and  animals,  as  com 
pared  with  the  harm  wrought  by  the  too 
hasty  builders  of  a  frontier  town,  I  could 
not  ask  for  a  more  sympathetic  audience. 

It  has  been  my  privilege  to  visit  nearly 
all  sections  of  our  country  on  lecture  tours, 
including  semi-tropical  Florida  and  the  Pacific 
coast,  the  great  prairie  states,  and  almost 
every  nook  and  corner  of  picturesque  New 
England.  I  have  been  entertained  at  most 
of  our  great  colleges  and  universities,  from 
191 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

coast  to  coast,  and  had  the  honor  of  ac 
quaintance  with  many  famous  and  interest 
ing  people,  among  whom  I  might  name  al 
most  at  random,  W.  D.  Ho  wells,  Hamlin 
Garland,  Ernest  Thompson  Seton,  Dr. George 
Bird  Grinnell,  authors ;  Lorado  Taft,  sculp 
tor  (at  the  unveiling  of  whose  colossal  Black 
Hawk  I  was  privileged  to  officiate),  Edwin  W. 
Deming,  Ernest  Blumenschein,  and  other 
noted  artists;  Mine.  Bloomfield  Zeisler, 
pianist;  John  Hays  Hammond,  engineer; 
Presidents  G.  Stanley  Hall,  Ernest  Fox 
Nichols,  Eliot,  Stryker,  Harry  Pratt  Judson, 
Dr.  Luther  Gulick,  and  other  noted  educators ; 
Rabbi  Stephen  S.  Wise,  several  bishops,  and 
prominent  clergymen  of  all  denominations, 
together  with  a  large  circle  not  so  well 
known  to  the  public,  but  whose  society  has 
been  to  me  equally  stimulating  and  delight 
ful. 

Like  every  one  else  who  is  more  or  less  in 
the  public  eye,  I  have  a  large  correspondence 
from  unknown  friends,  and  among  the  most 
inspiring  letters  received  have  been  those 
from  foreign  countries,  where,  until  the 
outbreak  of  the  European  war,  I  had  not 
192 


The  Soul  of  the  White  Man 

only  generous  critics,  but  translators  of 
my  books  in  France,  Germany,  Austria, 
Bohemia,  Denmark.  I  am  frequently  asked 
to  recommend  to  readers  books  on  all  phases 
of  Indian  life  and  art,  also  to  criticize  such 
books  both  in  print  and  in  manuscript. 

My  work  for  the  Boy  Scouts,  whose  pro 
gram  appeals  to  me  strongly,  has  given  me  a 
good  deal  of  practice  in  camp  management, 
finally  leading  to  the  organization  of  summer 
camps  for  both  boys  and  girls  on  charming 
Granite  Lake  in  the  hills  of  southern  New 
Hampshire,  where  my  whole  family  are 
enthusiastic  helpers  in  the  development  of 
this  form  of  open-air  education,  patterned 
largely  upon  my  own  early  training. 

From  the  time  I  first  accepted  the  Christ 
ideal  it  has  grown  upon  me  steadily,  but  I 
also  see  more  and  more  plainly  our  modern 
divergence  from  that  ideal.  I  confess  I 
have  wondered  much  that  Christianity  is 
not  practised  by  the  very  people  who  vouch 
for  that  wonderful  conception  of  exemplary 
living.  It  appears  that  they  are  anxious  to 
pass  on  their  religion  to  all  races  of  men, 
but  keep  very  little  of  it  themselves.  I  have 
193 


From  the  Deep  Woods  to  Civilization 

not  yet  seen  the  meek  inherit  the  earth,  or 
the  peacemakers  receive  high  honor. 

Why  do  we  find  so  much  evil  and  wicked 
ness  practised  by  the  nations  composed  of 
professedly  "Christian"  individuals?  The 
pages  of  history  are  full  of  licensed  murder 
and  the  plundering  of  weaker  and  less  devel 
oped  peoples,  and  obviously  the  world  to-day 
has  not  outgrown  this  system.  Behind  the 
material  and  intellectual  splendor  of  our 
civilization,  primitive  savagery  and  cruelty 
and  lust  hold  sway,  undiminished,  and  as  it 
seems,  unheeded.  When  I  let  go  of  my 
simple,  instinctive  nature  religion,  I  hoped 
to  gain  something  far  loftier  as  well  as  more 
satisfying  to  the  reason.  Alas !  it  is  also 
more  confusing  and  contradictory.  The 
higher  and  spiritual  life,  though  first  in 
theory,  is  clearly  secondary,  if  not  entirely 
neglected,  in  actual  practice.  When  I  reduce 
civilization  to  its  lowest  terms,  it  becomes  a 
system  of  life  based  upon  trade.  The  dollar 
is  the  measure  of  value,  and  might  still  spells 
right;  otherwise,  why  war? 

Yet  even  in  deep  jungles  God's  own  sun 
light  penetrates,  and  I  stand  before  my  own 
194 


The  Soul  of  the  White  Man 

people  still  as  an  advocate  of  civilization. 
Why?  First,  because  there  is  no  chance 
for  our  former  simple  life  any  more;  and 
second,  because  I  realize  that  the  white 
man's  religion  is  not  responsible  for  his 
mistakes.  There  is  every  evidence  that 
God  has  given  him  all  the  light  necessary 
by  which  to  live  in  peace  and  good-will  with 
his  brother;  and  we  also  know  that  many 
brilliant  civilizations  have  collapsed  in  physi 
cal  and  moral  decadence.  It  is  for  us  to 
avoid  their  fate  if  we  can. 

I  am  an  Indian ;  and  while  I  have  learned 
much  from  civilization,  for  which  I  am 
grateful,  I  have  never  lost  my  Indian  sense 
of  right  and  justice.  I  am  for  development 
and  progress  along  social  and  spiritual  lines, 
rather  than  those  of  commerce,  nationalism, 
or  material  efficiency.  Nevertheless,  so  long 
as  I  live,  I  am  an  American. 

THE  END 


INDEX 


ADLER,  DR.  FELIX,  190. 

Algonquin  Indians,  92,  167. 

Allison,  Senator  William  B., 
158. 

American  Horse,  78;  his 
pacific  influence,  94,  95; 
interview  with  Eastman, 
96-99;  100,  162. 

Anaesthesia,  Indian  fear  of, 
120;  how  Eastman  over 
came  it,  121. 

"Apple  Blossoms",  86. 

Armstrong,  General,  106. 

Arnold,  Matthew,  72. 

Arnold  Arboretum,  71. 

Assiniboine  Indians,  4,  10. 

Assiniboine  River,  10. 

"BAD  LANDS",  93,  108. 
Bad  Wound,  100. 
Bancroft,  Edgar  A.,  58. 
Bartlett,  President,  66. 
Battle  Creek,  172. 
Bear  Island,  home  of  Leech 

Lake  Ojibways,  169. 
Beloit      College,       Eastman 

enters,  50;    life  at,  51-58. 
Beveredge,  Old  Tom,  161. 
Bible,    Eastman    first    hears 

reading  of,  9. 
Big  Foot,  102,  106,  108. 


"Big  Issue"  day  at  Pine 
Ridge  Agency,  79,  80. 

Blackfeet  Indians,  4. 

Black  Hawk,  52,  56;  figure 
of,  192. 

Blue  Horse,  old,  78. 

Blumenschein,  Ernest,  192. 

Boggimogishig,  Ojibway  war 
chief,  171. 

Boston,  Mass.,  Eastman's 
first  impressions  of,  64, 
65 ;  68 ;  a  medical  student 
in,  70,  71;  charm  of,  71, 
72 ;  74,  90,  147. 

Boston  University,  studies 
medicine  at,  71. 

Boy  Scouts,  189;  interest 
in  work  of,  193. 

Brooke,  General,  negotiations 
with  Ghost  Dancers,  103; 
107;  efforts  to  maintain 
peace  with  Indians,  108; 
places  Eastman  in  charge 
of  wounded  Indians,  110. 

Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  186. 

Buffalo  Bill,  78. 

Burke  Bill,  the,  164. 


CAMP  FIRE  CLUB  OF  AMERICA^ 

191. 
Camp  Fire  Girls,  189. 


197 


Index 


Cass  Lake,  168. 
Chapin,  President,  52,  56. 
Cherokee  Indians,  146. 
Cheyenne  Indians,  49,  142. 
Cheyenne  River  Agency,  102. 
Chicago,  111.,  47,  62,  63,  118, 

147. 

Christ,  8,  71,  142-144,  193. 
Christianity,  10,  33,  57,  59, 

70,  71,  85,  125,  141,  144, 

148,  151,  190,  193,  194. 
Church    of    the    Ascension, 

New       York,      Eastman's 

marriage  in,  125. 
Clemens,  Samuel  L.,  "Mark 

Twain  ",  190. 
Cleveland,  President  Grover, 

158;   an   Indian's   opinion 

of,  163. 

Cochrane,  Thomas,  151. 
Commissioner      of      Indian 

Affairs,  119. 
Congregational       Club       of 

Chicago,     address     before 

the,   118. 
Congress      of      Races.    See 

FIRST     UNIVERSAL     CON 
GRESS  OF  RACES. 
Congress     of     the      United 

States,  155,  156,  160. 
Cook,   Mrs.   Charles  Smith, 

85,  109,  110. 
Cook,   Rev.    Charles   Smith, 

Eastman's     first     meeting 

with,  85 ;   88,  98,  104,  109, 

110. 

Court  of  Claims,  155. 
Craft,  Father,  107. 
Crazy  Horse,  30. 
Cree  Indians,  4,  142. 


Crook,  General,  78. 
Crow  Indians,  4,  143. 
Custer,  General,  30,  53. 

DARTMOUTH  COLLEGE,  East 
man  enters,  61 ;  his  life 
and  activities  at,  65-70; 
72;  graduation  at,  74. 

Davenport,  la.,  15. 

Dawes,  Senator  H.  L.,  133. 

Dawes  Bill,  the,  164. 

Deming,  Edwin  W.,  192. 

Devil's  Lake,  N.  D.,  9. 

Donald,  Rev.  Dr.  Winchester, 
Eastman  married  by,  125. 

Dorchester,  Mass.,  126. 

Drink  evil,  9,  10,  170,  178, 
187. 

EASTMAN,  CHARLES  A.,  early 
training,  1 ;  feeling  toward 
tribal  foes,  2;  betrayal 
and  capture  of  his  father, 
3;  early  cause  of  hatred 
for  United  States,  3;  as  a 
youth  with  the  Sioux,  4-6 ; 
turning-point  in  his  life, 
6-8 ;  his  father's  influence, 
8,  9;  return  with  his 
father  to  the  United  States, 
9-13;  a  narrow  escape, 
11,  12;  on  his  father's 
farm,  14-16;  starts  his 
schooling,  16-30;  goes  to 
Santee,  31-40;  experiences 
at  Santee,  40-50;  letter 
from  his  father,  48;  earns 
his  first  money,  49 ;  prog 
ress  in  his  studies,  49, 
50 ;  death  of  his  father,  50 ; 


198 


Index 


EASTMAN,    CHARLES    A.,  — 

Continued 

goes  to  Beloit  College,  51 ; 
first  ride  on  railroad,  51 ; 
life  at  Beloit,  51,  58;  life 
at  Knox  College,  58-60; 
choice  of  a  profession,  60; 
starts  for  the  East,  61; 
the  journey,  61-65;  in 
Boston,  64 ;  at  Dartmouth 
College,  65-74;  reflections 
and  ambitions,  65;  pre 
pares  at  Kimball  Union 
Academy,  66,  67;  enters 
Dartmouth,  67;  humorous 
athletic  incident,  67 ; 
broadening  views,  68,  69; 
interest  in  literature  and 
history,  69;  summer  busi 
ness  experiences,  69,  70; 
reverence  for  New  Eng 
land,  70;  high  ideals,  71; 
life  in  Boston,  71,  74; 
acquaintance  with  emi 
nent  men,  72;  lectures  at 
Wellesley  College,  72; 
views  on  social  life,  72, 
73;  graduation  at  Dart 
mouth,  74 ;  appointed 
government  physician  at 
Pine  Ridge  Agency,  74; 
attends  Lake  Mohonk  con 
ference,  75 ;  arrival  at 
Pine  Ridge  Agency,  76; 
meager  accommodations, 
76,  77;  "Big  Issue"  day. 
79,  80;  first  learns  of 
Ghost  Dance,  82-85;  an 
evening  with  Rev.  Charles 
S.  Cook,  85.  86;  first 


meeting  with  his  future 
wife,  86;  busy  life  at  the 
Agency,  87;  a  second 
warning  of  the  Ghost 
Dance,  87-89;  an  accept 
able  present,  90;  a  word 
of  caution,  90,  91 ;  an 
exciting  incident  and  a 
brave  admonition,  93-95 ; 
advice  concerning  the 
Ghost  Dance,  96,  98 ;  cause 
of  Sioux  unrest,  98,  99; 
anxiety  at  the  Agency,  99, 
100;  arrival  of  the  troops, 
101 ;  wild  rumors  and 
excitement,  102, 103 ;  prep 
arations  for  Christmas, 
103,  104 ;  engagement  to 
Miss  Goodale,  106;  dis 
turbing  news  from  the  "  Bad 
Lands",  107,  108;  trouble 
narrowly  averted,  108,  109 ; 
caring  for  the  wounded, 
109,  110;  search  for  the 
wounded  after  the  mas 
sacre,  110-114;  distressing 
experience  and  a  severe 
ordeal,  113,  114;  quiet 
restored,  114;  property 
losses  of  the  Indians,  116, 
117;  address  in  Chicago, 
118,  119;  friendship  of  the 
Indian  Commissioner,  119; 
demands  for  proper  equip 
ment,  120;  prejudice  of 
the  Indians,  120,  121 ;  fear 
of  anaesthesia  and  ampu 
tation  and  its  removal,  121 ; 
experience  with  "medicine 
men".  122,  123;  a  touch- 


199 


Index 


EASTMAN,    CHARLES    A.,  — 

Continued 

ing  tribute,  124;  marriage 
in  New  York,  125;  the 
new  home,  126;  birth 
of  his  first  child,  127; 
dishonesty  in  payment  to 
Indians,  128-130;  pro 
test  to  Washington,  131; 
a  farcical  investigation, 
131 ;  strained  relations 
with  Indian  bureau,  132, 
133;  summoned  to  Wash 
ington,  133;  leaves  the 
Indian  service,  135 ;  re 
moves  to  St.  Paul,  Minn., 
135 ;  warm  social  welcome, 
137;  temporary  hard 
ships,  137 ;  professional 
temptations,  137,  138 ;  dis 
appointment  in  official 
character,  138;  regret  for 
abandoned  work,  139;  con 
tributions  to  St.  Nicholas, 
139;  field  service  for  Y.  M. 
C.  A.,  139-141;  extended 
travel,  141 ;  reflections  on 
religion,  141;  Indian  phi 
losophy,  142,  143;  a 
Scotchman's  story,  143, 
144;  visits  his  uncle  in 
Canada,  144,  145;  among 
the  Ojibways,  146;  in 
Indian  Territory,  146 ;  ad 
dress  at  Bacone  College, 
146 ;  speaking  tours  in  the 
East,  147;  depressed  by 
poverty  of  the  slums,  147; 
visits  the  Sac  and  Fox 
tribe,  148;  an  old  chief's 


rebuke,  148,  149;  efforts 
to  Christianize  the  Indians, 
150 ;  association  with  lead 
ing  men,  151 ;  representa 
tive  of  Sioux  tribe  in 
Washington,  152-165 ;  ces 
sions  by  and  treaties  with 
the  Sioux,  153,  154;  bad 
faith  of  the  government, 
154 ;  trials  of  Washington 
life,  155-157;  before  Con 
gressional  committees,  158 ; 
relations  with  four  Presi 
dents,  158 ;  arduous  duties, 
158-160;  Indian  views  of 
officials,  160-163 ;  new 
phase  of  Indian  life,  164; 
Indian  political  influence, 
164,  165 ;  search  for  Indian 
curios  and  relics,  1 66-181 ; 
methods  of  search,  166; 
his  reception  by  former 
enemies,  1 70 ;  witnesses 
ancient  ceremonies,  170; 
visits  Boggimogishig,  171 ; 
the  Sugar  Point  Ojibways, 
171;  with  the  Red  Lake 
Ojibways,  172;  at  Rainy 
Lake,  173;  a  fine  type  of 
Indian,  173,  174 ;  har 
vesting  wild  rice,  174; 
the  call  of  the  wild,  175; 
hunting  the  loon,  176;  its 
curious  maneuvers,  176; 
an  interesting  aged  squaw, 
177 ;  a  narrow  escape  from 
drowning,  179;  the  de 
serted  village,  180;  a 
strange  visitor,  181 ;  last 
work  for  the  government. 


200 


Index 


EASTMAN,    CHARLES    A.,  — 

Continued 

182;  the  Sioux  allotment 
rolls,  182;  confusion  of 
Indian  names,  182 ; 
method  of  work,  183; 
overcoming  prejudice,  183; 
remarkable  memory  of  the 
Indian,  184 ;  difficulties 
of  the  work,  184 ;  publica 
tion  of  "Indian  Boyhood" 
in  1902,  185;  "Wigwam 
Evenings",  185;  writing 
in  collaboration  with  Mrs. 
Eastman,  185,  186;  as  a 
public  speaker,  186 ;  enters 
the  lecture  field,  187; 
the  object  in  view,  187; 
a  cordial  response,  187; 
an  opinion  of  "The  Soul 
of  the  Indian",  187,  188; 
the  Indian's  philosophy, 
188;  representative  to  the 
First  Universal  Races  Con 
gress,  London,  1911,  198; 
impressions  of  the  Con 
gress,  189;  an  incident 
of  the  Congress,  190;  an 
invitation  from  the  Orient, 
190;  at  banquet  to  Mark 
Twain,  190;  unique  ap 
pearance  as  a  speaker,  191 ; 
before  the  Camp  Fire  Club, 
191 ;  extended  traveling, 
191,  192;  large  acquaint 
ance  with  noted  personages, 
192;  voluminous  and  in 
spiring  correspondence, 
192;  interest  in  the  work 
of  Boy  Scouts,  193 ;  camps 


for  boys  and  girls,  193; 
belief  in  the  Christ  ideal, 
193 ;  views  of  Christianity, 
193,  194;  reflections  on 
the  higher  life,  194;  his 
stand  for  civilization,  195 ; 
belief  in  Indian  sense  of 
right  and  justice,  195 ;  an 
American  to  the  end,  195. 

Eastman,  Mrs.  Charles  A. 
See  GOODALE,  ELAINE. 

Eastman,  Dora,  eldest  child 
of  Charles  A.  Eastman, 
127,  136. 

Eastman,  Rev.  John,  brother 
of  Charles  A.  Eastman,  40, 
44;  welcomes  his  brother 
on  return  from  his  wedding, 
126;  152. 

Eastman,  Joseph,  uncle  of 
Charles  A.  Eastman,  144. 

Eliot,  President  Charles  W., 
192. 

Emerson,  Ralph  Waldo,  72. 

FIRST  UNIVERSAL  RACES 
CONGRESS,  LONDON,  1911, 
189. 

"Five  Civilized  Tribes  ",  146. 

Flandreau,  13;  Many  Light 
nings  forms  colony  at,  16; 
31 ;  death  of  Many 
Lightnings  at,  50;  family 
gathering  in,  126. 

Forbes,  Major,  9,  10. 

Forsythe,  Colonel,  106. 

Fort  Robinson,  98. 

Fort  Sheridan,  119. 

Fort  Snelling,  3. 

Fort  Yates,  102. 


201 


Index 


Four  Bears,  99. 

Freeman,  President  Alice,  72. 

Frye,  Senator  William  P.,  163. 

GALESBURG,  ILL.,  58. 

Garland,  Hamlin,  182,  192. 

Ghost  Dance,  the  origin  of 
the,  83,  84;  its  hold  on 
the  Indians,  84;  rapid 
spread  of  the,  88;  89; 
foreign  to  the  Indian  phi 
losophy,  92;  seat  of  the 
trouble,  93;  aggravated  by 
presence  of  troops,  98; 
its  natural  death,  99; 
negotiations  with  its  vota 
ries,  103. 

Gilfillan,  Rev.  James,  161. 

Goodale,  Dora,  125. 

Goodale,  Elaine  (Mrs.  Charles 
A.  Eastman),  supervisor 
of  Indian  Schools,  86; 
first  meeting  with  East 
man,  86;  89;  ancestry 
and  early  life,  105;  takes 
up  work  for  Indians,  106; 
her  engagement,  106; 
faithfulness  to  duty,  109; 
duties  as  a  nurse,  110; 
resigns  from  the  Indian 
service,  115;  her  marriage, 
125 ;  at  "  Sky  Farm  ",  125 ; 
birth  of  her  daughter,  127; 
strained  relations  with  In 
dian  bureau,  134;  146; 
literary  work  in  collabora 
tion  with  husband,  185. 

Graham,  George,  assistant  at 
Pine  Ridge  Agency,  87 ;  cau 
tions  Eastman,  90 ;  93, 101. 


"Grand    Medicine    Dance," 

169. 
Grass,  John,   his  opinion  of 

Grover  Cleveland,   163. 
"Great     Mystery",    9,     12, 

20,  24,  26,  28,  32,  40,  41, 

169. 

"Great  Spirit",  145,   149. 
Griffis,   Rev.   William  Eliot, 

71. 
Grinnell,    George   Bird,    182, 

192. 

Gros  Ventres  Indians,  4. 
Gulick,  Luther  Halsey,  192. 

HALL,  G.  STANLEY,  192. 

Hammond,  John  Hays,  192. 

Hampton  Institute,  106. 

Hare,  Bishop,  75,  114. 

Harney,  General,  78. 

Harriet,  Lake,  136. 

Harrison,  President  Ben 
jamin,  158,  161. 

He  Dog,  99. 

Hemenway,  Mrs.,  72. 

Hoar,  Senator  George  F., 
133,  162. 

Hole-in-the-Hill,  32. 

Homestead  laws,  14. 

Ho  wells,  William  Dean,  192. 

Hudson  Bay  Company,  4, 
168,  177,  180. 

Independent,  The,  86. 

Indian  Affairs,  Commissioner 
of,  119. 

"Indian  Boyhood",  East 
man's  account  of  his  child 
hood  and  youth  in,  v; 
publication  of,  185;  186. 


202 


Index 


Indian  Police  at  Pine  Ridge 

Agency,    82,    85,    88,    93- 

97,  108,  110. 
Indian    sense    of    right    and 

justice,    Eastman's    belief 

in,  195. 

Indian  Territory,  146. 
International    Committee   of 

Y.  M.  C.  A.    See  Y.  M. 

C.A. 

International  Falls,  178. 
I  nternational  Training  School , 

Springfield,  Mass.,  140. 
Iowa  Indians,  153. 

"JACK  FROST",    Eastman's 

horse  at  Pine  Ridge,  90. 
Jack  Red  Cloud,  95,  99. 
Jamestown,  N.  D.,  13. 
Jesus.    See  CHRIST. 
Judson,  H.  P.,  192. 
Jutz,  Father,  104,  114. 

KICKING  BEAR,  84,  99. 
Kimball  Union  Academy,  66, 

67. 
Knox       College,       Eastman 

enters,  58,  59. 

LAKE  OF  THE  WOODS,   173. 

Lee,  Colonel,  89,  90. 

Leech  Lake,  168. 

Lewis  and  Clarke  expedition, 
168. 

Lincoln,  President  Abraham, 
56. 

Littlefish,  162. 

Longfellow,  Henry  Wads- 
worth,  72. 


McCLURE,  S.  S.,  58. 

McCook,  Colonel  John  J., 
151. 

McKinley,  President  Wil 
liam,  158, 162. 

Majigabo,  Ojibway  chief, 
170;  defies  the  govern 
ment,  170. 

Mandan  Indian,  41,  42. 

Manitoba,  145. 

Many  Lightnings,  Eastman's 
father,  6;  his  conversion, 
7 ;  describes  advantages 
of  civilized  life,  7,  8;  re 
turns  to  United  States 
with  son,  9 ;  Bible  reading, 
9 ;  his  farm,  14 ;  forms 
Indian  colony  at  Flan- 
dreau,  16;  sends  son  to 
school,  16,  17;  his  logic, 
25 ;  advice  to  his  son,  27 ; 
his  views  of  religion  and 
education,  28,  29;  sends 
son  to  Indian  mission  at 
Santee,  30;  letter  to  son, 
48;  his  death,  50. 

Mark  Twain.  See  CLEM 
ENS,  SAMUEL  L. 

Massacre  Island,  178. 

Mead,  Edwin  D.,  190. 

Medicine,  Indian,  122,  123, 
138,  169. 

Medicine,  study  of,  60,  71. 

Medicine  Root  Creek,  92. 

Messer,  Wilbur,  151. 

Messiah  of  the  Ghost  Dance 
religion,  83. 

Miles,  General  Nelson  A., 
114. 

Milholland,  John,  190. 


203 


Index 


Minneapolis,  Minn.,  136. 

Minnesota,  3,  136,  153,  167. 

Minnesota  Massacre,  3. 

Missouri  River,  4,  43,  139. 

Mohonk,  Lake,  75,  147. 

Moody,  Dwight  L.,  74. 

Morgan,  General,  Commis 
sioner  of  Indian  Affairs, 
119,  132,  133. 

Morgan,  Senator  JohnT.,  162. 

Morse,  Richard,  151. 

Mott,  John  R.,  151. 

Murray,  David,  151. 

Music,  37. 

NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  125,  147. 
Nichols,  Ernest  Fox,  192. 
Ninth  Cavalry,  101. 
North  Bay,  177. 
Northern  Cheyenne  Indians, 

49. 

Northfield,  Mass.,  74. 
No  Water,  99. 

OBER,  CHARLES,  151. 

Occum,  Samson,  65,  69. 

O-hee-ye-sa,  Eastman's  In 
dian  name,  16. 

Ojibway  Indians,  10-12,  142, 
146,  160,  161,  167,  169, 
170,  172,  175,  178. 

Oklahoma,  146. 

Old  Pine  Tree,  69. 

Old  White  Bull,  184. 

Otoe  Indians,  153. 

PAINTER,  PROFESSOR,  75. 
Parkman,  Francis,  72. 
Pettibone,  Professor,  53. 
Phillips,  John  S.,  58. 


Philosophy  of  the  Indian,  142, 

143,  188. 

Pinckney,  Judge  Merritt,  58. 
Pine   Ridge   Agency,   S.   D., 

74,  76-135. 

Platt,  Senator  O.  H.,  162. 
Pond,  James  B.,  186,  187. 
Pontiac,  72. 
Protestant,  7,  41. 

RAINEY,  REPRESENTATIVE,  58. 

Rainy  Lake,  173. 

Rainy  River,  173. 

"Red  Christ",  the,  92. 

Red  Cloud,  100. 

Red  Lake,  168,  172. 

Riggs,  Dr.  Alfred  L.,  superin 
tendent  of  Santee  school, 
40 ;  introduces  Eastman 
to  school  routine,  42,  43; 
his  personality,  48;  sends 
Eastman  to  Beloit  College, 
50;  transfers  Eastman  to 
Knox  College,  58;  pro 
poses  that  Eastman  enter 
Dartmouth  College,  61. 

Rock  River,  52. 

Roosevelt,  President  Theo 
dore,  158;  Indian  admira 
tion  for,  163;  foresees 
difficulties  of  Indian  land 
inheritance,  182. 

Rushville,  Neb.,  101. 

SAC  AND    Fox  INDIANS,  56, 

148. 

St.  Nicholas,  magazine,  139. 
St.    Paul,    Minn.,    Eastman 

removes  to,  135 ;   residence 

in,  136-140. 


204 


Index 


Santee,  Neb.,  Eastman  enters 
Indian  school  at,  31;  life 
at,  31-50. 

Seabury  Divinity  School, 
85. 

Sears,  Major,  40. 

Seine  Bay,  176,  180. 

Seine  River,  180. 

Seton,  Ernest  Thompson, 
192. 

Seventh  Cavalry,  106,  109. 

Shawmut  Congregational 
Church,  Boston,  71. 

Sherman,  James,  160. 

Sioux  Indians,  protest  of, 
3;  outbreak  of  the,  3; 
Eastman  member  of 
Wah'peton  clan  of,  4 ; 
their  friends  and  enemies, 
4 ;  country  and  habits  of, 
4,  5;  11,  12,  25;  pop 
ularity  of  Santee  Agency 
with,  30;  33;  Custer 
annihilated  by,  53 ; 
settler's  fear  of,  56,  57; 
Eastman's  ambition  to  aid, 
60 ;  curiosity  regarding 
the,  63;  65,  68;  one  of 
first  army  scouts  of  the, 
78 ;  gay  dress  of  a  "belle" 
of  the,  79;  "Big  Issue" 
day  with,  79-81;  their 
idea  of  medical  treatment, 
81 ;  ghost  dance  war  with, 
82-115;  grievances  of,  98; 
frauds  practised  on,  99; 
Miss  Goodale's  work 
among,  106 ;  Eastman's 
missionary  efforts  with, 
142;  146;  Eastman  rep 


resentative  in  Washington 
for,  152;  cessions  by  and 
treaties  with,  153;  bad 
faith  of  government  with, 
154 ;  Eastman  pleads  for, 
158;  old  chiefs  of  the, 
161-165;  Roosevelt  popu 
lar  with,  163;  political 
influence  of,  164,  165; 
famous  battle  with,  172; 
Eastman  revises  allotment 
rolls  of,  182;  confusion  of 
names  of,  182-185. 

Sioux  language,   40,   48,   49. 

Sisseton  Sioux.  See  Sioux 
INDIANS. 

Sitting  Bull,  30,  49,  53,  63. 
83,  102,  107. 

"Sky  Farm",  125. 

Slow  Bull,  84. 

"Soul  of  an  Indian,  The", 
187. 

South  College,  Beloit,  52. 

Spirit-water,  29. 

Spotted  Horse,  163. 

Stryker,  M.  W.,  192. 

Sunday,  Billy,  99. 

Sword,  Captain,  police  chief 
at  Pine  Ridge,  82,  83, 
87,  88,  96-98. 

TAFT,  LORADO,  192. 
Tahlequah,  Ind.  Ter.,  146. 
Tecumseh,  92. 
Three  Stars,   100,   121. 
Thunder    Bear,    Lieutenant, 

96,  98. 

Tibbetts,  Arthur,  140. 
Tillman,    Senator    Benjamin 

R.,  163. 


205 


Index 


Trinity  College,  85. 
Turpie,  Senator,  163. 
Twentieth  Century  Club  of 
Brooklyn,  186. 

VANDERBILT,  CORNELIUS,  151. 

WAR  CLUB,  SACRED,  171. 
Washington,  D.C..  131,  132, 

133,  152,  155. 
Webster,  Daniel,  69. 
Wellesley  College,  72,  126. 
Welsh,  Herbert,  75. 
Whipple,  Bishop,  75,  100. 
White  Clay  Creek,  93,  101. 
White  Ghost,  162. 
Whiteside,  Major,  106. 
"Wigwam  Evenings",  185. 
Wilkinson,  Captain,  170,  171. 
Williamson,  Dr.  John  P.,  48. 
Wise,  Rabbi  Stephen  S.,  192. 


Wood,  Frank,  Eastman's  in 
debtedness  to,  71,  72; 
work  for,  75 ;  Eastman 
entertained  by,  126. 

Wood,  Mrs.  Frank,  71,  72, 
126. 

Wounded  Knee  Creek,  106, 
107. 

Wounded  Knee  Massacre, 
110. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Eastman  under 
takes  field  work  for,  139, 
140;  his  work  with,  151. 

Yankton  City,  51. 

Yellow  Bear,  99. 

Young  Man  Afraid  of  his 
Horses,  100,  162. 

ZEISLER,  MADAME  BLOOM- 
FIELD,  192. 


206 


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